The NHS is the largest employer in the UK, with over 1.5 million staff, and two million volunteers. If the service is to achieve its world-first Net Zero goal, emissions from healthcare facilities must be reduced significantly more in the coming months. This makes the service an ideal candidate for further carbon footprint reduction via the deployment of renewable technologies, such as commercial heat pumps. The goal of the NHS is to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2040, while achieving an 80% decrease in emissions from 2028 to 2032 for the emissions it directly controls.
Heat pumps are a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels which are classed as a renewable energy source. There is a set budget of carbon that we can discharge into the atmosphere – i.e. our carbon budget must be sustainable, and for the NHS to play its part in us meeting our Net Zero goals within the timescales set out by Government, hospitals and other healthcare facilities will need to continue to take whatever carbon reduction measures they can to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Significantly increasing the use of renewables technology such as heat pumps could play a big part
Advantages of renewable energy to healthcare providers
Hospital energy efficiency improvements benefit the NHS and the communities they serve in a variety of ways – including better health and wellbeing, financial savings, and reduced emissions. The £635 m Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which opened in October 2022 for the public sector, takes an enormous leap towards a greener NHS. The scheme aids public institutions, including NHS hospitals, in making investments to boost the growth of low-carbon heating and energy. The investment will allow for the installation and use alternative energy sources, such as heat pumps and LED lighting – a major step forward towards reaching Net Zero targets using green energy sources. The objective is straightforward: to support energy resilience while assisting in the UK’s carbon reduction goals. No matter the size of the premises, there is a renewable energy source solution that will help to decarbonise the NHS.
A range of benefits
Let’s look at the key advantages for NHS Trusts, hospitals, and healthcare providers
1 Sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal power can provide significant cost savings over traditional energy sources like fossil fuels. By generating their own energy, healthcare providers can reduce their reliance on the grid, and avoid rising energy costs.
2 Natural gas is a fossil fuel, and burning it releases greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. The healthcare sector is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, and the NHS has a responsibility to reduce its carbon footprint and help mitigate the effects of climate change.
3 Renewable energy sources are cleaner and more sustainable than fossil fuels, which means they produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions and contribute less to climate change. By using green energy, healthcare providers can reduce their carbon footprint and show their commitment to sustainability.
4 Healthcare providers that use low carbon to zero carbon energy can benefit from a positive public image and reputation. Patients and the wider public are increasingly concerned about environmental issues, and are more likely to choose healthcare providers that show a commitment to sustainability.
5 By generating their own energy, healthcare providers can, again, reduce their dependence on the grid and improve their energy security. This can be important during times of disruption, such as power outages or natural disasters. The UK relies on imports of natural gas to meet its energy needs, and this reliance on imports is avoidable. By decarbonising and transitioning to renewable energy sources, the NHS can reduce its dependence on imported energy and improve its energy security.
6 The UK Government has set ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions and increasing the use of zero carbon energy. The NHS has a responsibility to contribute more to these targets, and to help the UK meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement on climate change. Alternative energy sources will enable the NHS to reduce its carbon emissions to meet its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions considerably by 2030.
7 Healthcare providers that use cleaner energy can show compliance with these regulations, and avoid potential penalties for non-compliance.
8 There is a definite added benefit for healthcare that benefits both employees and patients. Healthcare improvements such as the adoption of energy-efficient lighting contribute to a greener workplace
How is the NHS currently contributing to decarbonising the UK economy?
As the UK’s largest employer, the NHS has a duty to reduce its carbon footprint. Given the size of the healthcare sector, which accounts for an estimated 4% of England’s carbon emissions, its decarbonisation will significantly help to reduce the nation’s total emissions. In addition, over half of all NHS buildings are heated by grid-connected gas boilers. This produces a substantial amount of CO2/m2 /year that can be tackled with alternative renewable energy sources.
What is the NHS decarbonisation strategy?
Over 65% of London NHS Trusts now offer cycle-to-work programmes to their staff members, demonstrating their commitment to greener transport. Nurses from Guy’s and St. Thomas’ are also testing electric bikes to visit patients in the neighbourhood as part of a project to lessen pollution and enhance staff health and wellness. The good news is that there are many ways for hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the country to contribute towards decarbonising our economy. The cleanest, forward-thinking move is switching from grid-connected heating systems towards renewable sources, such as geothermal heat pumps or biomass boilers, and Trusts and hospitals are picking up the gauntlet with more NHS buildings having already switched to renewable heating systems. University College London Hospitals (UCLH) strives to decarbonise, and is making waves in the efforts for a lower carbon usage NHS. Its efforts show why renewable energy will continue to decarbonise the NHS.
At UCLH, the staff have actively moved to greener sources, and achieved a 90% reduction in using desflurane gas. The move to more usage of intravenous anaesthetics and sevoflurane, a cleaner anaesthetic gas, pushed the huge reduction forward. In addition, efforts to cut down on CO2 usage by using lowenergy LED lights in hospitals will bring UCLH closer to Net Zero targets. The £2 m investment in LED lights reduces CO2 consumption by up to 1,200 tonnes every year
What are the key barriers to decarbonising the NHS?
Overall, decarbonising the NHS is a complex and challenging task that requires significant investment, expertise, and cooperation across the sector. While there are significant barriers to decarbonisation, the significant benefits are 100% clear in terms of reducing carbon emissions.
All NHS institutions must overcome these barriers to support a long-term carbon budget
Among the current barriers to decarbonising the NHS are:
1 It requires significant investment in new infrastructure, equipment, and technology. This can be a major barrier, especially for cash-strapped NHS Trusts that may be operating on tight budgets.
2 It also requires significant changes to the way energy is generated and used within the NHS, which can be technically complex. This can require specialised expertise, and may involve significant retrofitting of existing infrastructure, which can be disruptive and timeconsuming. Infrastructure limitations where NHS buildings were not designed with decarbonisation in mind can make it difficult to retrofit them with new equipment and technology.
3 It needs NHS staff to think differently about how they use energy, which can be challenging to achieve. It may require changes to working practices, routines, and habits, as well as education and training to help staff understand the benefits of decarbonisation and how to implement it effectively.
4 It is likely to encounter a lack of awareness and engagement. Some NHS staff may not be aware of the benefits of decarbonisation, or how it can be implemented within their organisations. Engaging staff and stakeholders in the decarbonisation process is important to generate support and ensure the success of decarbonisation initiatives.
How commercial heat pumps will help the NHS hit carbon emission targets
There’s literally no time like the present when it comes to seeking all possible ways to cut carbon emissions. The NHS has taken steps towards decarbonisation through its use of waste heat recovery technology. One way for a large organisation such as an NHS Trust to switch to a more reliable and resilient energy source, cutting carbon footprint in the process, is to install a heat pump.
How heat pumps work
Heat pumps operate efficiently by absorbing heat at a low temperature from the air or ground, increasing that heat to a higher temperature and transferring it into your space, without producing any harmful emissions. Heat pumps absorb the energy from the environment, and ‘concentrate’ it using a compressor for use in buildings, to provide heating and hot water. The compressor runs on electricity, and the ratio of electricity to heat is the key performance measure, and should be between 2 and 4 or even greater
Air source heat pumps are more ecofriendly, and make up for around 94% of the heat pump market. Air source heat pumps include CO2 and Propane. CO2 heat pumps are ideal for meeting high temperature requirements, and work through using the gas as the natural refrigerant fluid. They’re efficient, nontoxic, and also cheaper than other heat pump alternatives. Heat pumps can reduce the user’s carbon footprint and energy bills in the long run, and are much more sustainable compared with gas boilers – which produce more CO2 per unit energy produced.
Heat pumps can play a key role in the NHS’s road to Net Zero
NHS Hospitals and Trusts across the UK can benefit in many ways from installing a heat pump, including via:
Lower energy bills.
Improved local air quality.
Improved energy security – moving away from fossil fuel imports.
Access to flexible markets for further energy cost reductions.
The NHS uses enormous quantities of heat and hot water to provide safe and effective healthcare for patients. Currently this is generated by the combustion of fossil fuels, a high-cost and high-carbon activity. Heat pumps are the only scalable, available, and viable low carbon heat generation technology. In particular, natural refrigerant heat pumps offer a very low carbon sustainable heating option. CO2 heat pumps can generate very high temperatures suitable for hospitals, where cleanliness and hygiene are of vital importance.
NHS sites are often complex, while the services they provide are of a critical nature, which means that additional expertise is required to specify, design, and commission, these important systems. This can take some time to do properly, but is worth the investment in time.
Clade Engineering helps many different sectors across the UK – including the NHS – reach their decarbonisation targets, and has the capability to manufacture and install multi-megawatt heat pumps for large commercial and public buildings – the type of refrigerant and heat pump used are really very site-dependent. In design the company would work with the NHS to determine what works best – whether water, ground, or air source heat pump technology. For some applications CO2 is ideal as a refrigerant, but for others Propane is better. These decisions need to be weighed against cost and other management factors in the early stages of design.
Installing a heat pump in a hospital
Hospitals’ 365 day-a-year, 24 hour-a-day operation requires a larger heat pump with a high output to maintain efficiency. Before determining what heat pump a hospital actually needs, an engineer would carry out a feasibility study which covers the big questions: space, noise, power supply, and suitability. This will progress in stages to design and then installation. It is vital that the whole system is commissioned properly, and then serviced correctly. The first year of operation is where the heat pump is optimised to work in all conditions, and where this engineering support is key to long-term success.
Generally heat pumps are installed in car parks / open space around the building, or on the roof. They need good air flow to operate correctly. The hot water is then piped into the existing boiler location and distributed from there. Some modifications are usually required to the heating system, which also make things more efficient. A power supply is also required, which is normally drawn from the nearest supply or sub-supply location.
Clade Engineering’s range of heat pumps include:
The Oak Heat Pump: The Oak Heat Pump is a mid-range CO2 heat pump design suitable for continuous operation at higher heating capacities in large buildings. This pump incorporates highquality components designed for long life and efficient performance, and is fully serviceable
The Acer Heat Pump: The Acer (CO2) Heat Pump has a low-noise and compact design, and is well-suited to smaller or rural surgeries. These pumps are smaller, more affordable, and easy to install, and deliver high temperatures of 70-80 °C
The NHS will continue to reduce costs and make our hospitals more ecofriendly for the foreseeable, against the backdrop of the NHS Long Term Plan. Heat pumps will make an incredible difference in the NHS’s road to Net Zero, and are an excellent investment for any industry looking to decarbonise. They are an overlooked solution in the ongoing quest to save money and reduce carbon emissions, while also reducing energy consumption. Commercial heat pumps can be a significant contributor to reducing our carbon footprint through renewable energy, and we should all be playing our part in creating a more sustainable future.
Tim Rook
Tim Rook is a Chartered Engineer, and Chief Markets officer for Clade Engineering, which claims to be the UK’s leading manufacturer of natural refrigerant heat pumps. The business works to deliver decarbonisation programmes to well-known businesses, improving their heating and cooling systems, and says it is ‘leading strategy in the global energy transition towards a sustainable future’. Prior to joining the company in April 2021, Tim Rook had a three-year spell as an associate partner – Industrial, Energy, and as Digital Technology lead at IBM, and is also a former Technical director at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), and head of Build Design at E.ON UK.