Morriston Hospital to be powered by solar farm

Image source, Swansea Bay University Health Board

Image caption, At peak production times, it is hoped the system will produce enough electricity for the whole hospital

A 拢5.7m solar farm is set to provide a Welsh hospital with almost a quarter of its power.

The 4-megawatt development will be built on land at Brynwhillach Farm and linked to Morriston Hospital, Swansea, by a 1.86 mile (3km) cable.

Health board bosses hope the facility - which is set to be operational by the summer - will cut electricity bills by 拢500,000 a year.

In total, 10,000 panels will provide the power from the 14-hectare site.

The Swansea Bay health board was awarded 拢13.5m by the Welsh Government for the solar farm and other energy-saving and carbon-reducing measures.

It currently spends about 拢6.9m a year on electricity, gas, water, and sewage treatment, but that figure is expected to keep rising.

The investment in the solar farm and energy-reducing schemes will lead to a minimum saving of 拢1.5m a year and reduce carbon emissions by about 3,000 tonnes annually.

Other measures include changing light fittings, improving insulation and upgrading building management systems at Morriston and Singleton hospitals in the city.