Rooftop Solar Project Under Way at Surrey Hospital

Work to install 2,827 solar panels on the rooftops of a Surrey hospital is well under way thanks to Government funding.

East Surrey Hospital, part of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH), secured a bid of £1,615,224 in Government funding for the rooftop solar energy project in March 2025 as part of the national Great British Energy Local Power Plan.

The goal is to have the solar panels fully operational by spring 2026, reducing the hospital’s electrical use and carbon footprint as part of its sustainable future.

Rooftop Solar Project

The first five NHS sites to be fitted with Great British Energy rooftop solar panels were announced in September 2025. The installations are part of a wider ongoing project to put rooftop solar panels on 200 schools and 200 hospitals across the UK.

It is predicted that 99% of energy will be utilised by East Surrey Hospital infrastructure and that the new farm will offset a total of 13% of the hospital’s total electrical energy consumption by solar power, eliminating 327 tonnes of CO₂, which is equivalent to 15,036 trees planted based on a 20-year lifespan.

It is estimated that the Trust will save more than £6.5 million over 25 years based on initial calculations, reducing carbon emissions by 454 tonnes a year.

Patrick Blanche, Director of Estates and Facilities, said: “This project represents another important step in our commitment towards the NHS’s pledge to be net zero by 2040 and will serve as a physical reference point for all future projects that are undertaken within our estate. The solar farm is just one of the engineering solutions that the team are reviewing and new plans will ensure alignment with sustainability strategies for the future.”

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