The government has unveiled a £230mn funding package for schools, hospitals, leisure centres and other public buildings to make low carbon energy upgrades.
Through the latest round of funding under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the aim is to help public sector organisations make significant low carbon energy upgrades to their buildings. These could include heat pumps and solar panels, as well as new energy efficiency measures, such as insulation and low-energy lighting.
Decarbonisation of the public sector through such measures is expected to save it an estimated £650mn a year on average through to 2037.
This marks Phase 3c of the scheme, with past rounds having seen upgrades such as an air source heat pump at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby as well as new solar panels and pipework insulation, which has helped save University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust £54,500 on their annual energy bill.
Other projects supported through £2bn worth of support have seen Staffordshire County Council install air source heat pumps and solar panels at the Kingston Centre in Stafford, with the school also set to receive new energy efficiency measures including a building energy management system, LED lighting, double glazing, roof insulation, cavity wall insulation and pipework insulation. This should see £79,700 in savings off their annual energy bill.
