The addition of battery storage to an existing solar installation shows how commercial sites can get more value from renewable generation they already have. For organisations with high energy demand, the technology offers greater flexibility over when electricity is stored, used or drawn from the grid.
Hospitals are among the buildings with the highest energy demand in modern society. They never truly switch off. Critical equipment operates around the clock, heating and cooling systems run continuously and electricity demand remains high throughout the day.
At the same time, public healthcare organisations across Europe are under growing pressure to reduce operating costs, improve energy resilience and cut emissions, all without compromising patient care.
A recent energy storage installation at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) in Oswestry, UK, offers a practical example of how solar generation and battery storage can work together to address that challenge.
Delivered by ZLC Energy, the project includes more than 3 MW of solar capacity across rooftops and car park canopies, using around 7,500 solar panels. The system is expected to generate between 2.5 and 3 GWh of renewable electricity annually, equivalent to the electricity used by around 600 homes, while offsetting approximately 75% of the hospital’s electricity demand.
The site originally operated without battery storage, which meant excess renewable energy generated during periods of high production could not always be fully used onsite. Six 109 kWh SolisStorage commercial battery units, connected to Solis 50 kW hybrid inverters, have now been added to the installation.
Working in parallel, they provide more than 600 kWh of storage capacity. The system can capture surplus solar energy during the day and make it available later as solar generation falls while demand across the hospital remains high.