Monday 21 June 2021

Half of NHS trusts charged up for a low carbon future

Half of NHS trusts charged up for a low carbon future

Half of NHS trusts in the UK have installed electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for their staff, patients and wider community.

That is according to figures obtained by power management company Eaton, which has also revealed that 43% of NHS trusts either plan to install charging facilities at their sites within five years or have already begun doing so.

Although the figures demonstrate a positive trend towards a low carbon future, Eaton has indicated there is still a need to help people understand the positive impacts that EV infrastructure can have; only 24% of NHS trusts recognised the potential revenue streams it can create.

It explained that vehicle to grid (V2G) technologies allow EVs to store energy and discharge it back to the grid if it is not required. The research revealed that only 11% of these trusts are currently selling energy back to the grid using this tech and 65% either had no plans to do so or an understanding of it.

Marc Gaunt, Commercial Buildings at Eaton, commented: “Concerns around the UK’s lack of EV charging infrastructure have inhibited EV adoption due to range anxiety; the fear that an EV would have insufficient range to reach its destination and leave the driver stranded.

“Yet EVs and their underlying infrastructure are a vital piece of our route to a low carbon future. EVs offer a cleaner mode of transport, while smart charging infrastructure not only powers the future of travel but embeds more flexibility into our energy grid to enable decarbonisation at a national level.”

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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