Health Business

Interest in renewable energy has risen in direct response to growing international concern over levels of CO2, other greenhouse gas emissions and the changes in global climate that these emissions are causing. In the United Kingdom over one third of CO2 emissions are generated by the country’s business and public sector organisations. Volatility in energy prices has also increased interest in alternative energy sources.
    
The challenge to reduce carbon emissions falls on all parties and individuals across the United Kingdom and the National Health Service faces its own demanding targets in coming years. Although NHS figures demonstrate an increase in energy efficiency of six per cent between the years of 1999 and 2005 carbon emissions increased at a rate of 11 per cent during the same period.
    
The introduction of renewable energy provides valuable contributions to meet targeted reductions in CO2 emissions. Additionally, renewable energy brings with it fixed energy tariffs providing critical operational expenditure savings and commensurate green credits.
    
TCI Renewables undertakes to provide ‘merchant wind’ solutions to the National Health Service and ancillary organisations. Merchant wind projects focus on small to medium sized programmes, either located on-site or adjacent to the energy users premises. Merchant wind power provides commercially viable sources of renewable power. Benefits include:

• Fixed energy prices providing long term savings and reduced carbon taxes
• Sustainable, emission free energy generating an improved corporate image
• Improved asset usage with potential to generate rental income
  

The award winning Antrim Area Hospital wind turbine is an excellent example of a successful merchant wind project. Savings in the region of £90,000 per annum are arising from a turbine which cost £497,000, 80 per cent of which was a grant from the Government Central Energy Efficiency Fund.
    
A 660kW turbine was installed at the 350 bed acute care facility in Northern Ireland in 2005. Following installation there has been over two years completely fault free operation producing in excess of 1.2 million kWh of electricity. The turbine is capable of meeting all the hospital’s night time electrical needs and two thirds of day time demand.
    
TCI Renewables obtained the full planning consent for the Antrim turbine as well as undertaking the installation’s detailed design and construction. The final commissioning and handover of the turbine concluded in February 2005, two months ahead of the programme schedule.

For more information
For more information go to our website at: www.tcirenewables.com