FIVE ambulance stations in the east of England have had solar panels fitted in a major bid to reduce the service’s carbon emissions.
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) has pinpointed south-facing stations across the region, in Hellesdon, Great Notley, Welwyn, Melbourn and Luton.
The data from three of the stations show that in May this year the solar panels produced enough energy to boil more than 100,000 one-litre kettles and power nearly a 1,000 energy-saving light-bulbs for the month.
Head of fleet for EEAST, Andrew Sanders, said: “This could potentially make our stations self-sustainable. It’s a fantastic scheme that fits in perfectly with the service.
“We have made a commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and are currently trialling a number of different projects to do this.”
So far, more than 7,000kg of CO2 emissions have been saved, which is enough to fill nearly 1.5 hot air balloons and almost the same as a car travelling around the world.
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