Solar panels installed at Babraham Road Park & Ride have been successfully connected to the energy grid and are creating green electricity to power electric vehicles and Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
The solar panels have been mounted on canopies across the site by Cambridgeshire County Council.
They are linked to the hospital through a private wire, allowing the two sites to mutually supply electricity to each other.
The green energy generated by the solar panels supplies power to the 35 new EV charging points at the Park & Ride, as well as the lighting, and CCTV at the site. Any surplus energy is sent to the hospital. In return, when the solar panels are not generating enough electricity for the Park & Ride, it is supplied by the hospital.
Accessibility is an important priority for the council, so three of the new EV chargers have been installed on designated bays for disabled use.
To use the EV chargers, drivers can either register with the Genie Point app or make a contactless payment. Powering up costs 50 pence per kWh plus a fixed connection charge of £1.25 per use.
This is the same app motorists need to use the EV charging points at the St Ives Park & Ride site, which became available last month.
Revenue from the EV chargers will be used to support the provision of front-line council services including social care.
Councillor Ros Hathorn, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Environment & Green Investment Committee, said: “This innovative partnership with Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) is setting an example of how local organisations can work together to provide important public services and reduce CO2 emissions.
“Our new solar panels at Babraham Road Park & Ride are producing clean, green energy that now benefits motorists and our local hospital.
“We’re committed to becoming a net zero county by 2045 and these solar panels are helping us move a step closer to this target.”
CUH’s Net Zero Carbon Lead and Director of Capital, Estates and Facilities Management, Carin Charlton, said: "We are delighted to celebrate the completion of the Park and Ride solar energy project alongside Cambridgeshire County Council.
“By harnessing the surplus green electricity generated by the solar panels, CUH is not only reducing its operational costs but is also making real progress toward its goal of cutting direct carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
“This is a renewable energy step-change for our hospital infrastructure. It will increase our current provision of green and clean energy by tenfold. It is the culmination of years of committed effort from both parties, highlighting the critical role that genuinely collaborative working plays in addressing the climate emergency.
“The Trust's recently launched second Green Plan highlights the necessity of such an approach, both within our hospitals and with community partners, in simultaneously reducing our impact on the environment by reducing carbon and reducing costs."
