Derby Hospital rooftop solar system set to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions
Left to right – Tracey Hepi (Coordinator of Nursing & Midwifery), Elsia Archer (District Health Advisory Committee member), Brett McPharlin (Horizon Power), Colin Pigram (Acting Maintenance Manager)
A $1.4 million rooftop solar system has been installed at Derby Regional Hospital, aimed at reducing the facility’s carbon emissions and annual energy costs.
The large-scale 364kW rooftop solar photo-voltaic (PV) system –equivalent to the capacity of 60 home solar systems – has been switched on at the hospital.
Installed by WA Country Health Service (WACHS) in partnership with WA’s regional energy provider Horizon Power, the state-of-the-art solar system is expected to deliver savings of around 25 per cent on the hospital’s variable energy bills annually.
Equipped with 910 solar panels, the system is also expected to reduce the hospital’s annual energy consumption by 24 per cent – cutting carbon emissions by more than 300 tonnes a year.
The solar system will be supported by the Derby Community Battery which enables excess energy generated to flow back into the grid, helping to maintain overall power network stability.