The John Hunter Hospital has switched on a new solar installation which Hunter New England Health say is the largest "on any hospital in the world".
The display consists of over 5000 panels covering almost 12,000 square metres and is a $3.2 million NSW Government investment "aimed at dramatically reducing the carbon footprint of the hospital".
"It powers between 15 and 20% of the hospital. We don't have batteries so the power gets used virtually immediately," Executive Director of Infrastructure and Planning with Hunter New England Health, Ramsay Awad said.
Hunter New England Health claims that since becoming operational in October, the array has saved over 145,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
"Just in the first two months of operation we've basically planted 6,000 trees," District Chief Executive Executive Michael DiRienzo said.
"Generating about 3,238 megawatt hours per annum, the solar panels will help reduce the hospital's annual energy consumption by 11 per cent."
Mr DiRienzo said the array is part of Hunter New England Health's environmental focus.
"We've already got solar panels on 10 of our other hospitals and our program is to put solar panels on all of our facilities," he sad.
"We are looking at how to get our vehicle fleet totally electric in the future but we are getting there by moving first to a hybrid fleet."
