Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI 100-2025
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request information regarding your current and planned usage of solar energy across your estate.
Please could you provide responses to the following questions:
Governance & Responsibility
1. Do you have a dedicated person or team responsible for solar energy investment and/or sustainability energy initiatives within your organisation? If so, please provide their role/title (personal names are not required).
Our response:
Yes, Head of Sustainability and Transformation
You asked:
Current Solar Deployment
2. How many solar panel installations (PV systems) do you currently operate across your estate?
Our response:
5
You asked:
3. What is the total installed capacity of these systems (in kWp)?
Our response:
Charlton Lane Hospital:
Production: 449.30 kWh
Consumption: 2.14 MWh
Performance: 8.14 kWh/kWp
We do not hold the information for the other systems as they are very old solar panels and we do not have visibility because there are no monitoring systems
You asked:
4. What proportion of your organisation’s energy usage is currently provided by solar generation?
Our response:
30% approximately
You asked:
Investment & Strategy
5. Does your organisation have a documented investment strategy for expanding the use of solar panels or increasing on-site renewable energy generation? If so, please provide a copy of or link to the relevant strategy or plan (or summarise key points if not published).
Our response:
No
You asked:
Solar and Net Zero Commitments
6. Does solar energy form part of your organisation’s Net Zero / Carbon Reduction Strategy? If yes, how is progress against this strategy communicated to the public (e.g. via website, reports, dashboards, etc.)?
Our response:
Yes, via website and annual carbon reports
You asked:
Future Plans
7. Are there any planned solar panel projects or expansions within the next 3 years? If yes, please provide high-level details (e.g. number of sites, scale of deployment, approximate timescales).
Our response:
Yes, an outline plan has been developed by a local contractor for Solar PV installations and air-source heating at our inpatient sites, these plans will be used to bid for capital funds this financial year.
You asked:
8. Have you conducted any feasibility studies on increasing solar capacity in the past 3 years? If so, can these be shared?
Our response:
Yes, please see the link below:
You asked:
Procurement & Partnerships
9. Does your organisation currently use any third-party companies or frameworks to deliver solar energy solutions or manage installations? If yes, which ones?
Our response:
Yes, NHS and public sector frameworks
You asked:
10. Are there any upcoming procurement exercises planned relating to solar energy or wider renewable energy solutions?
Our response:
Yes
You asked:
Battery Storage
11. Do you currently use battery storage alongside your solar panels?
Our response:
No
You asked:
12. Are there plans to invest in battery storage in future?
Our response:
No, at the moment
You asked:
Funding
13. Has your organisation accessed or applied for any external funding to support solar energy projects (e.g. SALIX, Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, LEP funding)?
Our response:
Yes
You asked:
Barriers
14. What are the main barriers your organisation faces to further adoption of solar energy (e.g. funding, planning restrictions, roof suitability, internal resource)?
Our response:
Internal resource
Next steps:
Should you have any queries in relation to our response, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are unhappy with the response you have received in relation to your request and wish to ask us to review our response, you should write to:
Louise Moss
Head of Legal Services / Associate Director of Corporate Governance
c/o Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Edward Jenner Court
1010 Pioneer Avenue
Gloucester Business Park
Brockworth, GL3 4AW
E-mail: louise.moss@ghc.nhs.uk
If you are not content with the outcome of any review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further advice/guidance. Generally, the ICO will not consider your case unless you have exhausted your enquiries with the Trust which should include considering the use of the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.