North East Ambulance Service is set to receive national funding as part 
The service will receive £39,000 to install new Solar PV (also known as solar panels) at the resilience training centre at Vancouver House in Washington which is scheduled for completion by 31 March 2026.
The installation will generate up to 45,000 kWh of clean energy each year—the equivalent of running a fridge for more than 500 years. It will also cut CO₂ emissions by 9 tonnes annually, comparable to charging over one million smartphones. These savings will reduce running costs and support wider sustainability goals across our estate.
This project forms part of a wider £74 million investment into cleaner energy across hospitals, military bases and prisons in Britain. The programme aims to reduce energy consumption, cut carbon emissions and lower running costs across the public sector.
Nationally, the funding includes:
- £65.4 million through the NHS Decarbonisation Fund
- £8.6m for solar and battery storage
- £44.8m for LED lighting
- £12m for Building Management Systems
- An additional £4.6 million for clean heat and broader energy‑efficiency measures
Environmental sustainability and facilities manager at NEAS, Martin Gibson said: “Securing this funding is a really important step in reducing our carbon footprint and making our estate more energy efficient. Solar PV is already making a big difference at many of our sites, and this installation will help us continue to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency across NEAS.”
Read more about the national announcement here: https://
Supporting our estate-wide sustainability goals
We currently have Solar PV installed at 28 sites (also known as solar panels), with two additional installations due to complete this financial year, bringing the total to 30.
Solar PV across the trust saves us approximately £50,000 in electricity costs annually. To date our solar systems have generated about 3.5 million kWh of energy which is equivalent to running a fridge for over 35,000 years.
Looking further ahead, we have plans to deliver solar projects at six more sites by 2035, reinforcing our long‑term commitment to sustainable energy and reducing our environmental impact.