Context
The NHS faces growing financial pressure driven by rising energy costs, increasing demand for services and the ongoing need to maintain safe, modern clinical environments.
Electricity is one of the biggest overheads for healthcare facilities, and volatility in wholesale energy prices has made long-term budgeting increasingly difficult. At the same time, the NHS has set an ambitious target to reach net zero by 2040 for its direct emissions. This goal requires every Trust to accelerate onsite renewable energy, reduce grid reliance and improve operational efficiency.
This trust provides community-based healthcare across Norfolk and is responsible for a diverse estate that includes active hospital sites, clinics and essential clinical services. Solar PV offers a practical way for the Trust to reduce daytime operating costs, increase energy security and move closer to its net zero commitments.
Carbon3 partnered with NCH&C to deliver rapid solar deployment across seven hospitals, ensuring all installations could be completed within Great British Energy funding deadlines.
Challenge
Hospital installations are among the most complex environments for solar installations. Many sites have infrastructure such as helipads, where glare from panels could disrupt emergency operations. Clinical buildings also contain sensitive patient information, strict safeguarding requirements and areas that cannot be interrupted under any circumstances.
Essential services and critical equipment must remain fully operational throughout construction, so noisy or intrusive works require precise scheduling and close coordination with clinical leads.
In addition to the operational challenges, Great British Energy funding requires all installations and DNO approvals to be completed by 31 March 2026. This meant Carbon3 needed to deliver surveys, design, structural assessments, procurement, installation and commissioning within tight timeframes. Each hospital also had unique structural constraints, varied roof conditions and different load-bearing requirements that needed to be addressed before installation could begin.
Carbon3 Solution
Carbon3 developed a Trust-wide delivery plan that allowed installations to proceed safely, efficiently and with full clinical cooperation.
Installation time ranged from one to two weeks for most hospitals, with the longest site completed in six weeks due to the system size. This concurrent programme ensured all sites remained on track for the NCH&C’s end of December deadline, with the first install starting on the 18th November, and the final install completed by the 23rd December.
Across the estate, Carbon3 installed the following capacity: Norwich Community Hospital at 355.5 kWp, Colman Hospital at 103.5 kWp, Dereham Hospital at 112.5 kWp, Kelling Hospital at 108 kWp, North Walsham Hospital at 94.5 kWp, Swaffham Hospital at 46.35 kWp and St James at 44.55 kWp. Each system was designed to maximise daytime self-consumption, reduce operational spend and provide long-term reliability.
“I would just like to say that the team at Carbon3 have done nothing but move mountains over the last few weeks and with the installs all going to plan I know that should the additional funds be available we will rise to the challenge of getting them installed and giving NCH&C a massive boost in their decarbonisation plan. THANK YOU”
– Andy Wooley, NCH&C.
Impact and Benefits
The Trust now benefits from savings of over £240,000 a year on their energy bills, as they use energy heavily during daytime hours when the solar is producing the most energy.
This reduces the financial burden on NCH&C and allows more of the Trust’s budget to be directed towards frontline care. Solar PV also provides predictable, long-term savings that support financial planning during a period when energy costs are highly unpredictable.
These systems contribute directly to the NHS net zero strategy and demonstrate leadership in sustainable healthcare. The installations reduce carbon emissions across the NCH&C estate by approximately 218 tonnes per year, and improves energy resilience, enabling hospitals to operate more reliably during periods of grid strain. Because all systems were delivered with minimal disruption and full compliance with safeguarding, emergency access, and service continuity requirements, staff and clinical teams were able to maintain usual operations throughout.
Why NCH&C Continues to Work With Carbon3
Carbon3 has shown that we can deliver solar in live clinical environments safely, quickly and without impacting patient care. Our approach prioritises safeguarding, operational continuity and detailed planning. By managing every stage of delivery from structural assessments and glare analysis to installation, commissioning and aftercare, we give NHS estates teams a single, trusted partner capable of delivering high-quality renewable energy across complex sites.
Contact us to find out how we can deliver your complex solar within your funding timeframes.
