More than two miles of windows at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) have so far been replaced by national contractor Willmott Dixon, working with E.ON as part of Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust’s ambitious net-zero carbon drive.

Willmott Dixon has been tasked with replacing over 18,000m² of windows at the hospital, all of which have been in place since it opened in 1977. The new windows feature modern frames made from 80% recycled aluminium, with high-performing double-glazing improving energy efficiency, air tightness, heat retention and patient comfort.

The hospital remains fully operational throughout the works, which are scheduled to be completed in 2024.

The project will play a significant role in helping NUH Trust to achieve its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. Willmott Dixon has been brought in by E.ON, which has partnered with NUH Trust on 15-year programme to decarbonise the hospital.

Nick Gibb, deputy managing director at Willmott Dixon, said:

“Working alongside E.ON, this window refit initiative is part of a long-term proactive approach to tackle the climate crisis, something which hugely benefits NUH Trust in the form of cost savings and creating a better environment for patients and staff.

“A key part of this project was about ensuring QMC can care for its patients as normal, and we are proud to have been recognised as sustainability experts within the healthcare sector who are able to overcome the challenges posed by working in a live hospital environment.

“We are grateful to E.ON, NUH Trust and our delivery partners for their collaborative effort to achieve our shared goal of improving QMC’s offering for patients and staff, while reducing the hospital’s impact on the planet.”

The project is funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which is administered by Salix Finance on behalf of the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which provides funding and assistance to public sector organisations to reduce carbon and tackle climate change.

Anthony May, Chief Executive of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

“This partnership demonstrates our significant commitment to environmental sustainability and offers a creative solution to meeting our energy needs and tackling climate change, whilst at the same time improving patient and staff comfort by allowing us to better manage temperatures within our buildings.

“Innovative projects like these will play a hugely important role in helping us meet our ambitious goal of achieving a net zero carbon operation for heating and cooling system emissions by 2040.”

Click here for more information on E.ON’s wider project with NUH Trust.