Hull’s LIFT health estate is becoming one of the greenest in the country with new photovoltaic panels being installed on health centre roofs across the city to generate electricity.
The programme is part of a joint sustainability project between Community Health Partnerships (CHP), the head tenant for the buildings, and Hull Citycare (LIFTCo), which own and manage the centres. Together, they are delivering a long‑term decarbonisation strategy across Hull’s LIFT primary care estate. The photovoltaic panel installation is funded by Community Health Partnerships, with the work carried out by Hull‑based electrical contractors N&P, and project managed by Sewell Facilities Management.
Newington Health Centre and Alexandra Health Centre had solar panels installed in February 2026, converting sunlight into clean energy to power everything from lighting and heating to medication fridges.
The photovoltaic panels will provide nearly all the energy needs of the centres. This will save the NHS around £18,000 a year across the two centres and reduce carbon emissions equivalent to more than 500 long‑haul flights over the lifetime of the panels.
The installation of photovoltaic panels at Newington and Alexandra Health Centres follows the trial last year of panels at Marfleet Health Centre in East Hull. This proved a huge success, generating over 55,000 kWh of power since their installation in April, which provided enough electricity for over 40% of the health centre’s energy needs. On sunny days, the panels were able to generate all of the centre’s energy needs, and were then able to export extra power, feeding over 23,000kWh back to the grid in the last year.
Read: Hull’s Marfleet Health Centre leads LIFT portfolio in Decarbonisation Drive (April 2025)
CHP are continuing our collaboration with CityCare to deliver successful sustainability projects, by expanding photovoltaic technology across our LIFT buildings, we are reducing carbon emissions and helping futureproof NHS facilities. Generating clean, onsite electricity also saves thousands of pounds that can be reinvested by our tenants into patient care. These improvements support the NHS’s journey to net zero while making our buildings more efficient and resilient.
There are 75 CHP LIFT buildings with solar panels across the portfolio:
- 42 buildings with photovoltaic panels that produce electricity.
- 33 buildings with solar thermal panels. These panels are full of water, which is heated by the sun, and flows into the heating system. This avoids heating the water from cold.
In addition, CHP has funded photo voltaic panels at Foxhill Medical Centre, Sheffield in 2025, with more planned at other health centres across the portfolio.
Given the rising costs of energy and the NHS’s own net zero goals, it’s essential that medical facilities across the country do everything they can to generate energy sustainably and reduce the amount of carbon they emit. We’re delighted to be paving the way for sustainable health here in Hull, and we hope the work in the city will demonstrate to other health facilities across the country that investing in the sustainability of their health estate can have considerable benefits for the environment, as well as providing savings on energy bills that can then be spent on improving patient care.
More Energy‑Saving Upgrades Across the Hull LIFT Estate
These are not the only sustainability measures improving Hull’s health estate. In 2023, all 13 health centres replaced their traditional light fittings with energy‑efficient LEDs, saving thousands annually and using 25% less energy. Over the coming year, all centres will also be fitted with voltage optimisers to further reduce energy consumption.
Read: 13 Hull health centres install 100% sustainable LED lighting (Jan 2024).
Sustainability at CHP
As part of the NHS family, CHP supports the NHS ambition to deliver the world’s first net-zero health system. Sustainable Facilities are one of our five strategic aims and sustainability is one of our four corporate social responsibility pillars. Aligning with the NHS target of achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2040, the team at CHP are committed to achieve Net Zero Carbon for the LIFT estate by 2040 and 2030 for our corporate functions.
