Aviemore Health Centre hopes to slash its heating bills following a switch to biomass heating.
Highland firm HW Energy has installed one of its heat cabins at the site to replace the old oil-powered boiler, which was costing more than £12,000 a year to run.
The cabin, which contains a 90kW biomass boiler, will cost about £5,000 a year to fuel with wood pellets, and generate up to £10,000 annual income as part of the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive subsidy scheme.
In May, NHS Highland commissioned HW Energy to install seven heat cabins and four additional biomass systems across 10 sites, in line with its carbon reduction plan.
Savings made from the £75,000 installation at Aviemore, and the other nine sites, will be used to fund further energy saving measures and supplement frontline care budgets for patient services.
The Health Board aims to deliver 60% of its heating requirements from biomass, saving 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
“This may be one of our smaller installations but it is the start of a great change in both perspective and effectiveness in providing our energy needs,” said NHS Highland energy and sustainability manager Gordon MacDonald.
“The course of action ahead is largely established but every isntallation is a major breakthrough and working with good companies like HWEnergy makes this journey so much easier.”
HW Energy managing director Bruno Berardelli said: “Audit Scotland recently published a report which highlighted a need to accelerate private investment if the Scottish Government’s 2020 renewable energy targets are to be met.
“If more organisations made the change to renewable sources like NHS Highland, the target which aims for 30% of all energy consumed to come from renewable sources would be far more achievable.”
HW Energy is based in Fort William and since its launch in 2003 has completed more than 200 biomass heat projects. The company employs 50 people.
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