trustwide sustainability report 2011

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

NHSPositive about mental health and learning disability

TrustwideSustainability Report 2011Achieving a sustainable future through conservingthe natural environment and its resources

sustainability 2011 a:Layout 1 19/4/11 10:19

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Mystery artwork – all is revealed!

Anyone recently entering the reception of Duncan Macmillan House willundoubtedly have noticed a giant art installation, which has appeared.The artwork, which represents a giant energy efficient light bulb, was created bypatients on The Peaks Unit at Rampton Hospital.

The purpose of the installation is to raise awareness of the Trust’sefforts to promote the wider environmental agenda and highlight the workcurrently underway to create a more sustainable future for us all. This isepitomised in the inscription on the base of the art installation which reads“For a brighter sustainable future: re-use, reduce, recycle”.

Due to its very nature, much of the work which is being done to meetvery challenging Government targets to cut carbon emissions and reduce

environmental impacts often goes unseen. Much of theinvestment that is being made or has been allocated is for plant

and equipment, which most staff and service users will beunaware of. Therefore, the art installation and

this report aim to raise the profile of this workand inform you about what is happening, sothat where appropriate you can also do yourbit for our sustainable brighter future.

If anyone is interested in purchasingthe art installation following its display, please

contact Neil Alcock on 0115 969 1300 Ext.10290 or email [email protected].

Welcome to the Trust’s firstSustainability Report.

This document provides anoverview of work undertaken by theTrust to help achieve a more sustainablefuture through conserving the naturalenvironment and its resources.

This includes meetingnational targets to reduceour carbon footprint, anincreased focus on usingrenewable energies,investing in moresustainable technologiesand reducing waste.

To ensure this isachieved, a TrustwideSustainable DevelopmentCommittee was

established in early 2010. Since itsformation a great deal of progress hasbeen made, with further plans for thefuture; this is captured on thefollowing pages. However, we all havean important role to play andinformation is also provided about arange of ways that you can getinvolved.

As the Executive Lead forSustainability, I have chaired theSustainable Development Committeesince its formation; however, fromJune 2011 this responsibility willpass to Peter Parsons, Non ExecutiveDirector, who I know will continueto drive forward this importantagenda.

I hope that you find thisreport a useful, interesting andenlightening read.

Simon Smith, Executive Director Local Services


Feedback from both staff and serviceuser forums shows that one of themajor concerns is what action theTrust is taking to conserve thenatural environment and promote asustainable future for us all. The following is an outline of the workby the Trust’s Sustainable DevelopmentCommittee, its achievements to date andplans for the future.

‘Sustainable development’ meansconserving the natural environment andits resources, so that future generationsinherit a planet that is at least ashabitable as the one we live in, whilsttaking into account the social andeconomic factors which also affect thelives of current and future generations.

Recent earth summits have beenheld in Copenhagen and more recentlyCancun in Mexico, which have focusedon the high level actions Governmentshave committed to in order to promotesustainability. As a result the UKGovernment has set itself a target ofreducing CO2 emissions by 34% by 2020and by 80% by 2050. The NHS has alsostipulated an interim target of a 10%reduction by 2015.

In order to meet these targets,the Trust formed a SustainableDevelopment Committee over a year agoheaded by Simon Smith, ExecutiveDirector Local Services. When reducing

carbon emissions many peopleautomatically think of the carbonemitted to heat and power our buildings.However, work carried out by the NHSSustainable Development Unit hasshown that carbon production fromhealthcare settings fall into three broadareas:• Purchasing• Building Energy Use• Transport and Travel

Surprisingly, by far the biggest producerof CO2 across the NHS is Purchasing;the pie chart (right) shows the relativepercentage production for each of theabove in the NHS nationally.

Work carried out to assess theTrust’s carbon footprint shows a similarpercentage split. The reason purchasinghas such a large footprint is because itincludes all the goods that the Trustpurchases. This includes the carbonwhich is emitted in order to obtain theraw materials, process them into finishedgoods, transport them to the point ofsale, and the carbon used to finallydispose of them.

Transport looks at the carbonemitted as a result of vehicles used tocarry the goods and services of the Trust.Travel focuses on the use of vehicles tocarry staff and patients to their place ofwork or treatment.

3Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust • Trustwide Sustainability Report • 2011

The Trust’s SustainableDevelopment StrategyThe Trust has recently published itsSustainable Development Strategywhich sets out how it will meet theGovernment targets for CO2 reductionand the wider aims, such as sustainableprocurement and waste minimisation.The strategy sets out a framework formeasuring progress across a wide rangeof indicators and how that progress isthen communicated to the Trust Board;this document can be downloaded fromthe Trust’s Intranet site. A key provisionof this strategy is how carbon reductionacross the Trust is to be implemented;the following article focuses on theBuilding Energy Carbon Reduction Planand the work being carried out to putthis plan into action.

Travel & Transport18%

BuildingEnergy

22%

Purchasing60%

NHS Carbon Footprint 2007

Sustainable Development & the Trust


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Before embarking on a plan to reducecarbon emissions it is vital tounderstand where carbon is beingemitted. The first step undertaken was tolook at all Trust owned sites and assesstheir building energy footprint. Once thishad been done it was possible to identifywhich sites produced the most carbon andto decide on the best strategy for reducingit. Unsurprisingly the largest sites,Rampton Hospital, Duncan MacmillanHouse, Wells Road Centre, HighburyHospital, Arnold Lodge, Millbrook MentalHealth Unit and Wathwood Hospital,account for the largest proportion ofcarbon from the Trust.

Using Environment Agencyconversion factors the Trust’s buildingenergy carbon footprint for 2009/10 isaround 19,000 tonnes of CO2. A survey ofTrust buildings was then carried out toidentify those areas where investment inenergy saving measures would produce thegreatest returns in terms of CO2 reduction.This has resulted in the following areasidentified for action:

1. Replacement of coal fired boilers atRampton Hospital

2. Rationalisation of Trust Site Use3. Voltage Reduction Equipment at

Wathwood Hospital, Duncan MacmillanHouse and the Wells Road Centre

4. Building Insulation Upgrades5. Wind Turbine Proposal for Rampton

Hospital

The chart below shows how the Trustintends to dramatically cut its carbonemissions from building energy use. Thereasons why each of the above has beenincluded in the carbon reduction plan areas follows:

1. Replacement of coal fired boilers at Rampton HospitalCurrently the boilers which supply theheating to the majority of the Rampton siteare coal fired. Coal is the most carbonintensive of fuels when compared to eithernatural gas or heating oil. The boilers arenearly twenty years old, are inefficient anddue for replacement; therefore thispresents an excellent opportunity not onlyto upgrade the reliability of the existingsystem but also maximise the potential forboth energy and carbon savings. Afeasibility study is being conducted intosuch issues as reliability of the operational

system, dependence on fuel supplies, cost ofthe replacement system, energy cost savings,fuel and CO2 savings. Options to beevaluated include Combined Heat andPower (CHP) and Biomass Boilers. Fundinghas been allocated in the Capital Plan for2011/12.

2. Rationalisation of Trust Site UseOne area which is often overlooked whenconsidering energy and carbon reduction iswhether the buildings occupied by the Trustare being used in the most efficient waypossible. If a large number of buildings areoccupied and the space often poorly utilised,this places an unnecessary burden on thecosts of not only fuel but also rates, counciltax and other running costs. By rationalisingthe number of sites we use and making theservices delivered from those that remainmore efficient, unneeded buildings can bereleased for other uses. This will then reducefuel costs and reduce carbon emissions.Additionally the buildings that are sold canbe used by other organisations that wouldotherwise have to construct new buildingsinevitably causing environmentaldegradation.

3. Voltage Reduction EquipmentElectricity use is the most carbon intensivefuel used to power buildings, every kilowatthour (kWh) of electricity consumed producesnearly three times the amount of carboncompared with gas and over 1.5 times asmuch as that produced by consuming coal.For this reason it makes sense to reduceenergy waste from electricity use.

How the Trust Intends to Save Carbon

Wind turbine (Rampton Hospital) 6.6%

Rationalisation of Trust site use (2011-12) 4.6%

Rationalisation of Trust site use (2012-13) 1.6%

Voltage reduction and insulation upgrades (Local Services) 3.4%

Voltage reduction (Wathwood Hospital) 0.5%

Boiler house refurbishment (Rampton Hospital) 83.4%

Percentage breakdown of savings by scheme to achieve a reduction of 6448 tonnes of CO2 by 2015:

Total Trust CO2 Projection 2009/10 to 2015

0

5000

10,000

15,000

20,000

2009/10 2015

Gas 3975

Coal 6020

Electricity 8915C

O2

Ton

nes

Per

Yea

r

Total CO2 18,911

Electricity 4862

Total CO2 12,445

Gas 7584

Coal 0

CO2 reduction6465 (34%)

Building Energy Carbon Reduction Plan

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Due to the way electricity isdistributed it is inevitable that somebuildings will be supplied with electricityat a voltage which is higher than isactually needed. This can lead to a lossof energy and carbon of up to 10%.Voltage reduction equipment is fitted tothe main supply of the building andreduces this excess voltage, savingenergy, carbon and money.

4. Insulation UpgradesOne of the cheapest ways to savemoney on heating is to increase the levelof insulation particularly in the roofspace. Because many of the Trustproperties are quite old some were onlyfitted with very modest levels of loftinsulation. A programme is nowunderway to upgrade these propertiesto current best practice standards.

5. Wind TurbineAlthough many Trust sites are quitesmall and offer little scope for moreambitious technology such as windturbines, Rampton Hospital is unique inits size and geographical position. Afeasibility study is currently beingundertaken to ascertain whether it willbe practical to fit a relatively large scalewind turbine of around 500 kW at thissite. The main factors that will have tobe considered are planning permission,wind speed and carbon savings relativeto capital cost. Once these factors havebeen explored a decision whether to goahead with this project will beconsidered.

Changing the Trust’s Carbon ProfileImplementing the measures above willhave a dramatic effect on the carbonprofile of the Trust. The graph aboveshows the breakdown of carbonproduction across the Trust for thefinancial year 2009/10 and how it willlook by 2015 if all the measures areimplemented. The most obviouschanges will be moving away from theuse of coal for heating and thereduction of carbon resulting fromnational grid based electricitygeneration, both of which are highlycarbon intensive. The savings wouldresult in a reduction of 6465 tonnes ofCO2 per year which is a 34% reductionon the amount currently produced.

This would mean that the Trustwould be able to meet the NHS targetof a 34% reduction by 2015 instead of2020 therefore five years ahead of time.

Renewable energy is often cited asthe best way to reduce emissions incarbon saving schemes. However theuptake for renewable energy in the UKhas been relatively slow compared withother European countries. One reasonfor this is that although renewabletechnologies do not emit carbon theycan be quite expensive to purchase andinstall, and therefore take quite a longtime to pay for themselves.

In order to address this problem,the Government has recently providedincentives to help stimulate therenewable sector within the UK. It hasintroduced Feed In Tariffs (FITs) aimedat ensuring installers of renewabletechnology receive much better paymentsfor the electricity they produce than waspreviously the case. This now means thatthe financial support provided makes theuptake of these technologies much moreeconomic.

A Commitment to RenewablesOne method of supporting renewabletechnologies is to purchase at least someof the electricity generated centrally bythe national grid from these sources. Thecurrent Trustwide electricity contractmakes use of electricity that is generatedfrom these sources. In fact 10% of allelectricity consumed by the Trust is fromaccredited renewable supplies such aslarge scale hydro electric and wind


turbines. In addition two recentrefurbishment projects within the Trusthave included Photo Voltaic (PV) panels,these being a 503m2 array on the roof ofRutland Ward at Arnold Lodge (see imagebelow) and a 225m2 array at the MikeHarris Learning and Development Centreat Rampton Hospital.

The Future for RenewablesThe Trust’s Building Carbon ReductionEnergy Plan, to reduce carbon emissionsover the next five years, hasconcentrated on relatively large scaleprojects because they tend to offer thebest return on investment. However,because of the recent FIT changes manyof the Trust’s smaller properties maynow be well placed to benefit from smallscale renewable technology. In particularthe case for small scale PV panels toproduce electricity may now be costeffective.

During the early part of 2011 theTrust will survey many of its propertiesin order to assess the potential for PVpanels in order to identify the most costeffective options. Once this has beendone a business case will be put forwardto identify funding requirements andtake the plan forward where there is aneconomic case for doing so.

Micro GenerationThis term is applied to small scalegeneration of electricity and heating atthe point where it is used. Recentadvances in technologies such as microCHP i.e. domestic sized Combined Heatand Power systems now means thatsystems which were once only economicto fit to large scale industrial orcommercial facilities can now beinstalled in smaller domestic scaleproperties owned by the Trust. Theseoptions will be investigated and whereeconomic a proposal will be put forward.

The Scope forRenewables & MicroGeneration

PV array at Arnold Lodge (top left hand of picture)


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‘Money for Nothing& Energy for Free’

At one point or another, you will have looked at your annualhousehold energy bill and thought, ‘there must be a way to do thischeaper’, especially after a severe winter. Well, the Government hasdeveloped and enacted in law a scheme known as Feed In Tariffs (FIT) toencourage homeowners to install ‘renewable energy’ technology, such assmall wind turbines and solar panels (www.fitariffs.co.uk). This will helpaddress the balance between what a home system costs and what it givesback in terms of energy bill savings.

Government IncentivesThe UK is far behind the rest of Europe in terms of percentage powergenerated from renewable technology. In summary, the average UKhousehold could be around £1500 a year better off. If an averagehousehold, for example a three or four bedroom house, installed solarPhoto Voltaic (PV) panels that generate electricity, the Feed In Tariffswould provide the following benefits: • The electricity generated would pay the homeowner £836 a year tax free• Remaining electricity costs would be reduced from £450 to £300,

saving £150• Therefore the total benefit would be £986 per yearThis is based on an average use of 4,500kWh (higher end of users) ofelectricity per year and the installation of 2.5kW of solar PV panels (source: Ownergy Report).

The payments are guaranteed for the life of the scheme (until April2030), and are linked to RPI and Income Tax exempt. It is for this reasonthat investors with property they are not planning to sell in the next 19years are considering the Feed In Tariff scheme as a form of long termguaranteed investment.

In addition, the finishing touches are being put to a sister scheme,known as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) due the middle of 2011. Inexactly the same way as the Feed In Tariffs guarantee payments for energyproduction capacity at an index linked rate, tax free, so will the RenewableHeat Incentive for any heat you generate using a renewable system(www.rhincentive.co.uk). For a capital outlay to purchase the systemsinvolved for both the electricity generation, and the heat generation underthese schemes, typical ‘payback’ times can be as little as 7-8 years, resultingin profit for the remainder of the scheme.

FeasibilityThe Trust is looking at the feasibility of FIT/RHI installations at itsdomestic size properties (and some larger, more ambitious projects forDuncan Macmillan House and Rampton Hospital). These projects will notonly increase resilience and make the Trust a more sustainable organisation,but provide financial stability for its energy requirements and help theenvironment.

Before purchasing any renewable energy technology it is importantto thoroughly research this; the websites listed in this article provide a goodstarting point for information on the schemes and companies providingsuch technologies will be able to assist with any questions. The best ratesfor FITs are to be had in 2011, so this is the year to get your system; notonly can you make money by generating your own electricity/heat but youwill have taken a massive step towards reducing both your personal, andthe UK’s, carbon footprint.

Help to reduceunnecessaryspend on energy & wasteservices

As the NHS faces efficiency savings overthe next few years, a small butworthwhile contribution towards thisand to ensure that the Trust remainssustainable for the future, can be madeby saving energy and reducing waste.

The Trust spends in excess of £3 million a year on heating and lighting andmore in addition for waste services. Theimperative is growing every year – in termsof wholesale energy cost increases being farabove inflation (7-9% currently) – so an evenharder push will be needed to make energyreductions that benefit the Trust positively.

We all have a role to play in savingenergy and reducing waste and there areseveral steps that can be taken.

Combined Heat and Power (CHP)Mains generated electricity is only around33% efficient because so much heat is wastedat the power station through cooling towers.CHP makes use of this waste by placing theelectrical generator close to the buildings tobe heated, and so can be up to 85% efficient,thereby cutting carbon emissions.

Fuel 100%

Heat for Buildings 55%

Losses 15%

Electricity30%


Photo Voltaic PanelsPossibly one of the best known formsof renewable power is the Photo Voltaic(PV) Panel. Making use ofnatural daylight (they do notneed direct sunlight) theywill generate electricity.Recent Governmentchanges to Feed In Tariffs(FITs) now make this a muchmore cost effective option.


Step OneContact the Energy and Environmental Teamfor more information on being anenvironmental representative, and become adriving force in your area for energy reduction.

Step TwoBegin to implement the following ‘quick win’energy reduction measures to help the Trustrealise immediate cost savings:• Maximise Natural Lighting – assess the

need for bulbs, turn off when not in use.All the bulbs in the Trust use fractionalamounts of energy being turned off onand on, so turn them off even if you are‘just popping out’.

• Heating – make sure that heating isused as required; do corridors andtravel/storage spaces really need heating?1% of overheating can cause an 8%increase in energy bills.

• Air conditioning – resist the temptationto use air conditioning (if available) andmaximise natural ventilation wherepossible; a lot of electricity will be savedusing the windows!

• Computers – desktop PCs use 85%more electricity to run than a laptop, soleaving them on when they are notneeded uses a lot of electricity. ModernPCs don’t use significantly more energyon start up than when running so turningthem off for lunch/breaks is worthwhile.Make sure the orange standby light onmonitors is turned off as well.

• Office Equipment – printers,photocopiers, scanners etc are only usedduring working hours, so turn them offwhen not in use. Fit plugs with automatictimers to turn these devices off, as ‘sleep

mode’ still uses a lot of energy.• Electrical Equipment – ensure it is not

left in standby mode; power consumptioncan be up to 30% of the running output.

• Water – is a costly utility and should bepreserved wherever possible; report leaksimmediately and be conscious of yourusage. Remember – it takes 50 millionbarrels of oil a year to simply make theplastic bottles for bottled water.

• Waste – recycle and reuse whereverpossible; in Local Services a 77%recycling rate was achieved in 2010 andwe want to increase this rate in 2011.Segregate those valuable recyclables andfollow the guidance on the bin top labels.If you would like a recycling systemintroduced in your area contact theEnergy and Environmental Team.

Learn MoreMany of the above steps can also be takenat home. For more advice, help andguidance on how you can help, contact theEnergy and Environmental Team at DuncanMacmillan House on 0115 969 1300 Ext.10522. Further information can also beobtained from the websites listed on theback page.

Sustainable Technologies at a GlanceThere are many ways of making the Trust more energy efficient and so reducingthe carbon emitted by the electricity supplied from fossil fuels burned in thepower station shown (left). Here is a guide to the technologies referred to in thearticles. All are being actively considered and some are already in place.

Voltage Reduction EquipmentElectricity supplied to manybuildings is often at a highervoltage than the equipment itpowers requires, dependingwhere on the distribution systemthe building is connected.Voltage reduction equipmentregulates the voltage to a lowerlevel and this means that electrical energy is notwasted and carbon emissions are reduced.

Biomass Boilers The vital difference between biomass and fossil fuels is one of timescale. Burning fossil fuels such as coal releases carbon which hasbeen accumulated over many millions of years. Using biomass onlyreleases carbon which has been stored whilst the plant fuel wasgrowing. So in effect it is considered carbon neutral. Typicalbiomass boiler fuels include wood chips and willow coppice pellets.

Wind TurbinesWind turbines are a well knownmethod of generating renewablepower. As with PVs the changes toFITs may now makethem more cost effectivethan was previously thecase. However, one majorobstacle is planningpermission and this can oftenprove time consuming.


To obtain more copies of this document please contactthe Communications Team on 0115 993 4530.

Please recycle

P O S I T I V E

Want to do more?We hope that reading these articles has inspired you to adopt the energysaving habits outlined and to reduce the energy used in your department,ward or building. For more information visit the following websites:

www.carbonfootprint.comwww.carbontrust.comwww.decc.gov.ukwww.energysavingtrust.comwww.fitariffs.co.ukwww.recycling-guide.org.ukwww.rhincentive.co.ukwww.sustrans.org.uk

For further information, guidance and support, contact:

Stephen Lee, Environmental Implementation [email protected] · Tel: 0115 969 1300 Ext. 10522

Neil Alcock, Energy and Environmental [email protected] · Tel: 0115 969 1300 Ext. 10290
