Two awards were collected at the NHS National Services Scotland annual conference. The Engineering and Energy Excellence Award was received for the Ecocent kitchen boiler project at University Hospital Crosshouse.

The new boilers use the kitchen’s excess heat and moisture to generate domestic hot water, which is then fed back into the kitchen for use by catering staff.

This is the first time such technology has been used in the NHS. A bi-product of this process is cold air, which is used to help keep the kitchen cool.

The second award was the Paul Taylor Environment award, received on behalf of NHS Ayrshire and Arran by our Energy Manager Alastair Kay for our contributions in energy saving and carbon reduction work.

The awards were presented by Paul Gray, Director General Health and Social Care and Chief Executive NHS Scotland. The third award was presented to NHS Ayrshire and Arran at a ceremony in London, for its ‘contribution to energy efficiency and renewables improvement work in 2014’.

The board is one of Scotland’s best in terms of sustainable energy production, with 13 per cent of its heat generated from renewables.

Other innovative work includes the installation of new solar LED lighting at Ayrshire Maternity Unit car park.

The lighting is not connected to any power source and generates all the energy it needs through daylight. LED lighting with automated controls are being installed throughout the hospital sites, and achieving energy savings of more than 60 per cent in most cases.

John Wright, Director for Corporate Support Services, said: “We have invested a lot into renewable and sustainable technologies, in working towards saving money in the long term.

"Our work in meeting national targets is leading the way in carbon and energy reduction having exceeded the national carbon reduction target by 16 per cent and the energy reduction target by five per cent.”