Specifying CHP for the NHS – NAO Switching the NHS onto CHP in 2016

For those specifying and providing continuous power consultation to the NHS, the National Audit Office’s recent report on the carbon and cost savings for the NHS through combined heat and power will no doubt be of interest.With their heavy demands for large volumes of hot water, tighter operating budgets and of course, increased pressure to reduce carbon footprints, combined heat and power, or CHP, is without a doubt becoming more and more attractive a proposition to many NHS trusts throughout the country.

In its ‘NHS and Sustainability’ report to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, the National Audit Office (NAO) estimated that the NHS could save in the region of £180 million each year by reducing its carbon emissions, something that would pay for around 7,750 registered nurses.

According to the NHS Sustainable Development Unit, the NHS consumes at present 11,732 GWh or power each year and that accounts for 3 per cent of the UK’s total carbon footprint. Having set a target for a 34 per cent reduction in greenhouse emissions across health and social care by 2020, the 2014 Sustainable Development Strategy opens the door to CHP as a quick win towards achieving these ambitious carbon savings.

shentongroup provides a completely free whitepaper entitled ‘Design and operational considerations to get the best performance fro CHP systems’ which provides specifiers and consultants working for the NHS and beyond with a range of topics to help get the more technical elements of specification right. The whitepaper covers mechanical, electrical and operational considerations, including; design philosophy, operating strategy, relationship with boilers and BMS, electrical infrastructure, G59 embedded generator regulations, spatial requirements, acoustic considerations and the common pitfalls in CHP design.

As more and more NHS trusts switch on to the benefits of CHP, using this thorough and professional whitepaper to plan your proposal and requirements will arm you with the detail and knowledge to deliver the right CHP solution to your NHS clients. To discuss CHP with a member of the shentongroup technical team, get in touch now!