Community engagement for greener energy strategies across health and education anchor institutions

CEI for green energy

Abstract

Operating theatres are the most energy-intensive parts of the hospital, requiring a constant supply for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.1 Decarbonising them requires behavioural changes by frontline clinical and management teams, but also a change in the way clean energy is supplied. As hospitals are anchor institutions for communities, they can lead the way in change, especially in combination with adjacent, major education sites. While it is clear how solar energy would benefit the community at large, further insight is needed on public perspectives, including how much should the community be involved in the development of energy strategies and how to best communicate these. To gain an understanding of the community's views towards these themes, a public engagement event was organised on 14th March 2024, by researchers at the University of Birmingham at the Exchange in Central Birmingham, West Midlands, UK. The event was aimed at representatives of anchor institutions in the West Midlands, who had an interest or previous experience in working to achieve clean energy within their institutions, and patients, the public, and members of the local communities.