Wharfedale Hospital's solar panel car park canopy to save trust £75,000

The scheme will cut carbon emissions as well as saving money, the trust says

More than 600 solar panels have been installed on a new car park canopy at a West Yorkshire hospital.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) said the £1.1m project at Otley's Wharfedale Hospital could save up to £75,000 each year as well as cutting carbon emissions.

According to the trust, the panels will reduce its demand for power from the National Grid by about 15%.

It said the scheme would help towards NHS plans to reach net zero by 2040.

Craige Richardson, Director of Estates and Facilities at LTHT, said: "The solar canopy at the Wharfedale site exemplifies the trust's dedication to both environmental sustainability and the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve."

He added that with the increased energy demands associated with a proposed £15m elective care hub at the site the car park canopy was a "real positive".

Funding for the solar panels came from the government's Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the trust said.