Eden Valley Hospice has installed solar panels at its Carlisle home to help generate cheaper and greener energy, saving it thousands of pounds.
The project, carried out by Dumfriesshire-based APD Energy, has seen panels installed on multiple locations of the building, which are going to help reduce the increasing costs of heating bills this winter.
The hospice said: “Unfortunately, hospices are not immune to rising energy costs which have seen a sharp increase in recent years. This has created a new set of challenges for the hospice, which relies on 80% of running costs to be fundraised by supporters and the local community.
“Finding ways to save vital funds is integral to Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw’s sustainability and means that the highest quality care can continue to be provided to adults and children with life limiting illnesses throughout Cumbria.”
The solar panels project has been largely funded by gifts left in wills to the hospice, as well as a significant donation from a long-term individual supporter.
Trustee James Porter said: “As well as you, our incredible donors, stepping up to support, the hospice has also been making plans for how we can ensure that going forward our energy costs can be controlled so we can protect patient care, whilst also reducing the impact we have on the environment.”
Jim Main, of APD Ltd, said: “Working with the team at Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw has been a revelation for us, our more regular environments are large industrial sites. Seeing the dedication and care offered by all the staff here has been inspirational.
“This is phase one of the project, and we are working with the team now to look at further generation capabilities which will then give the site the possibility to store excess production either as thermal or electrical energy.
“We look forward to an exciting and productive time as we work with the team mapping out phase two with the aim of making the site the most energy optimised and carbon neutral Hospice in the country.”
The panels are now fully operational and are generating a significant amount of the hospice’s electricity requirements, it said, saving it thousands of pounds which can be spent on people’s care instead of running costs.
