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A multi-million-pound investment project, which aims to make Good Hope Hospital a greener, more efficient hospital, has been completed.

The hospital, part of University Hospitals Birmingham, has undertaken a major project with the aim of being one of the first net-zero hospitals in the UK.

The project was made possible thanks to funding from Salix, under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which it was awarded in 2022.

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and is delivered by Salix.

UHB was awarded £35.6 million as part of the scheme to reduce its carbon footprint and ensure its sites become more energy efficient. As part of this funding, Good Hope Hospital was allocated £12,506,872 under Phase 3a of the scheme.

This has allowed the hospital to install heat pumps, commission a new low-temperature-hot-water (LTHW) system and decommission the existing steam distribution system.

As well as the giant 650kW air source heat pump, other funded energy efficiency measures have included maintenance-free LED lighting, roof insulation and pipework insulation.

 Other parts of the project at Good Hope Hospital have included:

•  A new LTHW ring main installed across site increases the resilience of heating and hot water systems, meaning future maintenance tasks can be carried out with less disruption to the site. It also includes a connection point for temporary boilers to be brought onto site in the unlikely event of a major boiler failure
• The removal of three steam generating boilers, replaced with three low[1]temperature hot water boilers that are more energy efficient
• The removal of old steam calorifiers, with some being original, to the boilers that required increased maintenance regime, allowing mechanical maintenance teams to carry out other important tasks
•  New state-of-the-art building management system controls installed to all plantrooms, allowing better control of heating and hot water systems meaning a more energy efficient system

 The Carbon and Energy Fund (CEF) has supported Birmingham to deliver the projects.

Andy Yates, Head of Projects at CEF, said: “We are very pleased with this project, but there is always more to do. UHB has been fully engaged and has removed steam from their site enabling the use of low carbon technologies now and into the future. It’s been a great success.”

Neil Turnbull, Estates Manager at Good Hope Hospital, said he was delighted with how the work had progressed and believed much of the success came down to good communication. He said: “We always have to think ahead, so for example when we installed the air source heat pumps on the roof, we had to arrange for the road to be closed, so that the pumps could be lifted over the site, and that the theatre rooms below were emptied.

“We have had to think about every possible scenario and the priority is always with patients, but we have had to think about our neighbours too. “There has been huge amount of teamwork, and all credit to my colleagues.”