As you will have seen on the Net Zero page, energy makes up a huge proportion of our carbon footprint. In addition to carbon impact of energy, electricity, heating and water also costs the Trust a lot of money - over £17m every year.
Therefore, it is incredibly important that we reduce our use of energy, both to reduce our environmental impact and to save the Trust money.
Trust actions
The Sustainability and Estates teams are working on many different ways to reduce the amount of energy used around the Trust, including:
- surveying all buildings to plan energy improvements across all sites
- replacing old lights with LEDStrialling air source heat pumps to replace gas boilers
- improving insulation of buildings, to reduce heat loss in the cold weather
- replacing old windows with double glazed
- assessing feasibility of onsite renewables including wind power
- improving building heating and ventilation controls
- surveying the estate for water savings.
Individual actions
We can all do our bit to help reduce our energy usage and reduce Trust spend. Even some very small changes can make a big difference over time.
You can play your part; consider how you use your energy. You can help by:
- Shutting equipment down fully after use
- Turn any communal items off standby when not in use i.e. TVs, microwaves, coffee machines
- Turning off computer and monitors off when not in use and at the end of the day. This can save £35 a year per desk
- If there is enough daylight switch off lights that are not essential.
- Following close down procedures for your office, department, or building.
- Switch off heating and air conditioning where its controlled locally
- Turn off lights
- If there isn’t a close down procedure in your department create one locally for your team
- Have any medical devices that you think could be powered down at the end of the day? Contact Medical Engineering to agree an appropriate shutdown procedure – call 0151 706 2087
- Report faulty equipment, faulty heating/ventilation and water leaks
- Much of the heating controls across the Trust are controlled remotely. If the heating is constantly too warm in your department, report it to maintenance so it can be turned down.
- To contact maintenance at Aintree, use the Estates and Facilities Reporting Tool on your desktop or in an emergency call 0151 529 2928
- To contact maintenance at the Royal or Broadgreen, call 0151 706 2150.
There are many more measures that can be applied to your specific areas of responsibility. Please look for additional ways of saving energy in your department and encourage your colleagues to adopt them. If you would like to discuss any further points, please email: sustainability
The main tower block at Aintree University Hospital was built in the early 1960s, comprising of 10 floors and approximately 16,500m2 of clinical ward space. In recent years the external cladding and windows were showing signs of failure which were contributing to poor conditions within the wards, including failing insulation which was contributing to extreme heat gain in warmer temperatures and heat loss in colder months. In 2019 it was agreed to undertake a major capital project to upgrade the entire façade of the tower block the first of this scale since its initial construction. BAM Construction were appointed from the Procure 23 framework as construction partner to lead the design and construction of the £15m Project, along with main supply chain partner D&B Facades.
The project also upgraded the main entrance and 2 storey ‘link’ building with new cladding and windows, and an extensive landscaping scheme has created an outstanding external space comprising hard and soft landscaping for staff and visitors to enjoy. Large wildflower planting areas have been incorporated as well as the various tree and shrub species.
The result of the project has seen measurable improved indoor temperatures throughout the year being achieved, improving comfort for staff, patients, and visitors within the wards. It has also transformed the appearance of the building and created a more pleasant environment. The refurbishment has reduced heat loss by 35% through the fabric of the building, and a by 31% through infiltration loss. The Project is expected to extend the life of the tower block by up to 30 years, offering a lower carbon alternative to the construction of a new building. Annual carbon savings as a result of a reduced heat load within the tower block equate to approximately 163 tonnes of CO2e, and almost 5,000 tonnes of CO2e over the 30-year lifespan.
In 2022, the Trust was successfully awarded funding from the Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) to make improvements to the Windsor Clinic building at Aintree Hospital. This is part of a wider refurbishment of the building which had previously been vacant for a number of years, to become a centralised building for Estates and Facilities teams.
A number of elements were funded through PSDS to make the building more energy efficient and environmentally friendly:
- Wall and roof insulation
- Double glazing windows
- LED lighting
- Remote building management controls
- An air source heat pump (an alternative source to gas, air source heat pumps use electricity and air to create heating).
Combined, these are expected to total annual carbon savings of 56 tonnes of CO2e per year.