Weipa hospital is going green with TCHHS’s first major conversion to renewable energy. Photo: Supplied.
A switch to solar power at Weipa Integrated Health Service is set to save the hospital around half a million dollars per year, meaning more money can go towards patient health care.
The facility will be the first within the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) to convert to the renewable energy source, with the installation due to commence early next year.
The change is part of a statewide Queensland Health initiative to reduce emissions, and is expected to be completed by late 2026.
TCHHS acting executive director strategy and investment Maya Smitran said the project would have considerable impacts on the facility’s patient and environmental care.
“It is well known that climate change disproportionately impacts remote areas like our region, through extreme weather events and increased health risks, and as a health service, we are committed to doing our part to reducing our carbon footprint,” she said.
“Along with the positive environmental impacts, this is also going to significantly reduce operational costs for our health service, which should allow us to spend more where it really matters — delivering health care to our patients.
“We estimate it will save around $500,000 per year on operational costs, which is incredibly significant.”
The $2.17 million project was secured through the Queensland Emissions Reduction Fund, and will see the installation of a solar PV and battery energy storage system.
“Obviously, there will be appropriate and reliable redundancies built into this new system to ensure a continuous power supply to the facility, regardless of weather conditions,” Ms Smitran said.
“We do utilise solar at other facilities, but this will be the first large-scale project for TCHHS, and we look forward to investigating further renewable energy projects across the region.”
