As we move further into a new year, and into an even more difficult time for the NHS, Andrew Donald, Senior Business Development Manager at Powerstar, offers an overview of two aspects of NHS policy, both highly relevant to energy managers.
The deadlines for the decarbonisation of the NHS are looming, and many Trusts feel that these will be difficult to achieve in the given timeframe. At the same time, the NHS has a staffing crisis, including strike action by some of our most valued workforce and record levels of vacancies. While Electric Vehicle (EV) charging may not seem immediately front-and-centre when looking at these issues, consideration of the infrastructure necessary to support EV, and the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) technology needed to support it, points to one area where energy management policies across this vast organisation can make a tangible difference both for sustainability and for a more motivated employee base.
Alongside ambitious overarching net zero targets, as detailed in “Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service”[1], are targets specific to transport and travel – with zero-emission ambulances, and a shift to zero-emission vehicles for the rest of the fleet by 2032. It’s unsurprising that travel should be a major focus in the NHS decarbonisation strategy, given that approximately 3.5% – 9.5 billion miles – of all annual road travel in England is undertaken by patients, staff, and NHS suppliers.
Equally important, especially in the current political and economic climate, is the need for a motivated workforce. And the recent “Estates and Facilities Workforce Action Plan”[2] includes some key pointers as to how to make this happen. Most pertinent when considering energy management is the need to “invest in what matters to our people”, recognising the benefits in investing in a Greener NHS, to engage employees and boost recruitment. The Action Plan specifically highlights a shift to Electric Vehicles (EV) to facilitate this,
“Greening the NHS fleet, particularly ambulances, by transitioning to low, ultra-low and zero-emission vehicles was highlighted, along with the associated need for electric vehicle charging.”
While a shift to an electrified fleet makes clear sense – particularly as petrol, diesel and even hybrid vehicles are phased out – the infrastructure to enable this is complex and requires new energy management strategies to make it feasible. A key component of this is Battery Energy Storage (BESS), which is already helping NHS Trusts across the UK make the most of their on-site renewable energy generation, while maintaining the Uninterruptible Power (UPS) needed to ensure critical equipment continues to function in the event of disruption to power supplies.
On-site EV charging facilities are vital for the decarbonisation of the NHS fleet, but capacity issues can mean this is not feasible, where demand can far outstrip the total allowable capacity from the National Grid. While a rapid charger can take an EV from 20% to 80% charge in around half an hour, this is dependent upon a power supply that can support a sudden 50kW load, and the most modern high-speed chargers can require up to 350kW. An additional connection to the Grid may seem an option to address this problem but can be either prohibitively expensive – particularly for NHS Trusts where budgets are already under extreme pressure – have extremely long wait times or may even be denied by the Distribution Network Operator (DNO), making this option a non-starter. This is where BESS plays a pivotal role, acting as a buffer between the EV charger and the Grid. Here, electricity is stored as DC, rather than the usual AC supply – which is crucial since DC charging is far faster. Where NHS Estates already have on-site renewable power generation – largely solar – the capability of BESS to store energy as it is generated for use when required is a key component of effective EV charging. In its capacity as a buffer, the battery can both store energy generated on-site and also draw energy from the Grid at times when prices are lower. Since the chargers are connected directly to the battery, vehicles can be rapidly charged directly from this stored energy, without any impact on the Grid supply and without affecting the general, operational power redemands across the Estate.
Further benefits intrinsic to BESS technology make his solution ideal for the NHS. The capability to store energy means that Trusts can take advantage of new revenue streams, through engaging with grid balancing services and Demand Side Response (DSR). For one Powerstar NHS client, this solution is facilitating up to £100,000 of additional income each year, alongside cost savings of £225,000 through deploying the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) capabilities of BESS technology over a traditional UPS system.
Where government funding, through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), offers significant sums of money – and NHS Trusts are key beneficiaries of this support – specifically to implement energy efficiency projects such as solar and BESS, it is unsurprising that the NHS is increasingly looking to battery energy storage, smart microgrid technology and further on-site renewable power generation to facilitate Net Zero strategies. As a vital component of EV charging infrastructure investment in BESS technology can help Trusts meet Net Zero targets, while signalling to staff who overwhelmingly care about a Greener NHS that their opinions and concerns are being listened to and acted upon.
Contact details:
W: www.powerstar.com E: info@powerstar.com T: 0333 230 1327
[1] https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2020/10/delivering-a-net-zero-national-health-service.pdf
[2] https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/B0292-NHS-estates-and-facilities-workforce-action-plan.pdf