Solar Heating for Historic Hospital

Challenge: Design and install a solar thermal system suitable for a sheltered housing facility in Wiltshire.

Solution: 15 Schuco premium line solar thermal panels connected to a 300l heat accumulator cylinder and the installation of a single pump station and control panel compatible with a biomass heating system.

Output: 26,549 kW therms. 
Under the new commercial RHI, this system could receive £2,257 in the first year of generation and over the 20 year period, the system could generate £72,896.

Duchess of Somerset Hospital

The Duchess of Somerset’s Hospital, Wiltshire, has been providing sheltered housing for women dating as far back as 1965. They wanted to branch into using efficient renewable energy sources in a bid to become greener. They had the extensive historic building to take full advantage of and requested that Freesource Energy designed and installed a bespoke solar thermal system to work alongside a biomass fuel system already in place.

Becoming greener and using renewable energy sources was a key factor for the hospital as was ensuring that the living costs could be kept at an affordable rate for all who use the facilities.

With the introduction of the renewable heat incentive (RHI) for commercial properties, the solar thermal system  not only helps  reduce living costs, but can now generate an income for the energy that is generate and used throughout the hospital, making the system a smart investment into the future.


The switch into renewables included installing a biomass fuel system for heating. With a new outbuilding acting as a boiler room, the start of the green journey began. It was then that the hospital chose Freesource Energy to provide them with a solar thermal system.

Going Green

Because the Duchess of Somerset’s hospital is a listed building in a conservation area, the first point of call for Freesource was to work closely with the hospital and local council officers in order to gain the necessary local planning approval, having worked on several National Trust properties Freesource were in an excellent position to advise on how best to install renewable technologies discreetly.

Once this was acquired, the exciting venture of designing a suitable solar thermal heating system began. The solar thermal system needed to work alongside the new biomass fuel system in order to heat the hospital efficiently and effectively.

Planned to 100% perfection

Freesource Energy’s in-house design team decided that the best solution for the property was to create a system that had 100% usage. This meant that no energy generated by the solar thermal system is lost and the hospital can use 100% of the generated energy. 
It was decided that the best possible solution for the hospital was a Schüco premium line flat panel system, with 3 columns of 5 panels positioned on the 15o pitch roof. The south facing roof made it a perfect location to generate as much solar energy as possible in order to heat the hospital.

The new boiler room was connected to a high efficiency 3000l heat accumulator cylinder which was installed within the hospital’s main central utilities facility and by Freesource Energy. The system was then linked with a single pumping station and controller.

Investing in a future

The size of the system and the 100% usage means that the hospital is not only effective with fuel savings and offsetting carbon emissions, but can now also benefit from the newly introduced RHI payments.

The RHI payment is measured and paid on the how much the system uses, not on how much the system generates, however in the case of the hospital is uses 100% and therefore gets paid for all the energy is produces and uses.
In its first year the fuel savings for the Duchess of Somerset’s system was in the region of £1274.  RHI payments will add an £2257. Less maintenance costs of around £300 for the year the NET income of this superb
solar thermal system will be £3231.

Over a 20 year period, the hospital can expect to receive £72,896 in RHI payments and make fuel savings of £31,837. Less the cost of the system and the total maintenance the total NET income of the system is set to be around £70,042. This is an IRR of 17.8%

Duchess of Somerset

For the Duchess of Somerset hospital, generating their own energy in order to provide an affordable and improved standard of living for their residents is important and choosing Freesource Energy to find a solar thermal heating solution is just one part of their renewable journey. 

Freesource Energy

Interested in finding out how a solar thermal system could work for you or your business? Get in touch with Freesource Energy today. Our experts will explain exactly what your options are - and how you could benefit from the RHI. Call us on 0800 1313 161 to arrange a consultation.