60 kWp Solar on a Midlands Hospice
- System size
- 60.2 kWp
- Annual saving
- £13,814
- Payback
- 5 years
- Location
- Midlands
Scenario
A 16-bed inpatient hospice in the Midlands operating a charity model with day-care and outpatient services alongside inpatient palliative care. Annual electricity bill £52,000 across hospice plus three charity shops. Capital for the install raised via a restricted-fund gift-aided donor appeal — £68,000 over 6 months. The hospice’s main building is Grade II listed; the install required Listed Building Consent.
This case study is an illustrative composite derived from published industry data (notably St Michael’s Hospice, March 2024) and our own engagement profile in similar settings. Specific identifying details are anonymised.
What we delivered
- System size: 60.2 kWp (140 × 440W panels)
- Inverters: 1 × 50 kW + 1 × 10 kW Solis string inverters
- Listed Building Consent: Successful application for non-public-facing south slope, sympathetic flashing details to match Welsh slate roof
- Grid connection: G99 via local DNO, 12 weeks (extended slightly for capacity assessment)
- Commissioning date: March 2024
Results
| Metric | Year 1 |
|---|---|
| Generation | 57,000 kWh |
| Self-consumption | 64% (36,500 kWh) |
| Energy saving (import offset at 27p) | £9,855 |
| SEG export income (20,500 kWh at 8p) | £1,640 |
| LA grant top-up (carbon reduction premium) | £2,319 |
| Total year-1 saving | £13,814 |
| CO₂ avoided | 12,800 kg |
| Simple payback | 5 years (gross) |
| Donor cost recovery via saving | 5 years |
Charity funding model
The capex was raised through a named-donor restricted fund appeal launched in October 2023. The appeal materials emphasised three benefits:
- Direct cost saving funding two FTE-equivalent nursing salaries annually
- Visible sustainability commitment to bereaved families
- Charity Commission-compliant restricted-fund accounting
The appeal exceeded target by £8,000 (£68,000 raised on a £60,000 target). Surplus was ringfenced for first-year maintenance and a planned reception live-display upgrade.
Listed building consent
The hospice’s main building is Grade II listed, originally a Victorian country house with later additions. Listed Building Consent was granted for the install on the non-public-facing south slope only — the original front elevation (north-facing) was excluded to preserve heritage character. We worked with a heritage consultant to specify sympathetic flashing details that match the original Welsh slate roofing. The LBC application took 14 weeks from submission to consent.
Hospice-specific install protocol
The install team completed a hospice-specific induction covering family-facing protocols, bereavement awareness, and what to do if approached by a relative. Noisier operations (roof penetration, scaffolding lifts) were time-coordinated with the clinical lead, avoiding identified clinically sensitive periods. No complaints or concerns were raised by residents or families during the 14-day install programme.
Outcome
The install paid for itself in 5 years against the original donor appeal target. Subsequent fundraising appeals referenced the install in materials, and a follow-on capital appeal for heat pump installation (planned 2026) reached target in 4 months — half the time of the original solar appeal. Donors cited the visible impact of the previous install as confidence-building.
The hospice’s annual report featured the install prominently and included tonne-CO₂ saved as a board-level reported metric from year one onwards.
Hospice CEO quote
“We have always been careful about what we put donor money into. Solar was a clear case — the savings funded real care, the visible commitment matters to bereaved families, and the listed-building treatment was handled with the sensitivity our setting required. Five years from install we will have recouped every pound of donor capital, and the panels will run for another 20 years on top of that. It is the easiest capital decision the trustees ever made.”
— Hospice Chief Executive