How big is the solar system installed at EMS Healthcare?
Alliant Energy installed a 122.4kWp solar PV system using 278 panels paired with a Solis inverter. The installation took 3 weeks from arrival on site to commissioning.
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Healthcare
EMS Healthcare
122.4kWp system saving £40,377 a year for EMS Healthcare.
Project overview
EMS Group owns, operates and manages one of the UK’s most extensive fleets of flexible mobile medical units and vehicles. They actively support NHS Trusts, Health Boards and private healthcare providers by configuring vital tailor-made mobile facilities to suit a wide range of clinical environments. They also design and manage a fleet of roadshow trucks that deliver branded experiences direct to their audience. Already harnessing the power of solar technology in various ways on their mobile fleets, they decided that it was time they also harness solar at their base of operations, The Refinery. The installation provided now supplies EMS Group with over 100,000 kWh of energy every year at no additional cost.
The challenge
Like most healthcare operations, EMS Healthcare faced a structural exposure to wholesale electricity prices — a cost line that doubled for many UK businesses between 2021 and 2023 and shows no sign of returning to pre-crisis levels. With significant daytime load and suitable roof space, on-site generation was the obvious lever, but the project needed to stand on its own commercial merits: predictable payback, manufacturer-backed warranties, and zero operational disruption during install.
The solution Alliant Energy designed
Following a structural roof survey and DNO capacity check, Alliant Energy specified a 122.4kWp array using 278 high-efficiency mono-PERC panels, paired with a Solis hybrid inverter. The Solis platform was chosen for its export-management capability and remote firmware updates, allowing the array to be tuned over its life without site visits. Surplus generation is exported to the grid under a Smart Export Guarantee tariff, providing a secondary revenue stream alongside the primary saving on imported electricity.
Install & commissioning
The full installation completed in 3 weeks, scheduled around the customer's operating hours to avoid downtime. Work was carried out by Alliant Energy's directly employed MCS-registered engineers — no subcontracted labour. The system was commissioned to G99 requirements, registered with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, and handed over with monitoring access, electrical certification, and structural sign-off documents on the day of completion.
Financial outcome
In its first full year of operation the system is on track to save EMS Healthcare approximately £40,377 on electricity costs, with a payback term of 2.2 Years and a projected total ROI of 1136%. Over the 25-year warranted life of the panels, the cumulative saving is forecast at £1.01M — a figure that improves materially if grid prices continue their long-term upward trend, and that benefits from the UK's 100% full-expensing capital allowance for qualifying solar assets.
Environmental impact
The installation displaces roughly 25.4 Tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year compared with grid-sourced electricity. Over the system's 25-year design life that is the equivalent of removing more than EMS Healthcare's entire annual Scope 2 footprint several times over — a material data point for ESG, B-Corp and net-zero reporting frameworks.
Why it matters for the healthcare sector
Healthcare businesses typically run daytime electrical loads — refrigeration, machinery, IT, lighting, compressors — that overlap closely with solar generation. That overlap is what drives strong economics: every unit generated and consumed on-site replaces a unit that would otherwise be bought from the grid at full commercial rates. The EMS Healthcare project demonstrates how the model scales for this kind of operation.
System
122.4kWp
Panels
278
Inverter
Solis
Install
3 Weeks
Project FAQ
How much does EMS Healthcare save each year?
EMS Healthcare saves approximately £40,377 per year on electricity, with projected lifetime savings of £1.01M over the system's 25-year guaranteed performance period. The payback term is 2.2 Years, delivering a total ROI of 1136%.
Was the project funded or paid for upfront?
This project was paid for directly by the customer. Under the UK's full-expensing capital allowance, the entire cost can be deducted from corporation tax in year one — improving the effective payback meaningfully for profitable companies.
What's the environmental impact?
The system avoids around 25.4 Tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year compared with grid-sourced electricity. Over a 25-year design life that's a material contribution toward Scope 2 reduction and any ESG or net-zero reporting commitments the business holds.
Could a similar system work for my business?
Probably — the same hardware platform (panels, hybrid inverter, optional battery) scales from roughly 10kW up to 1MW+. The deciding factors are roof area, daytime electricity use, current unit rate, and grid-connection capacity. Alliant Energy carries out a free desktop feasibility study and follow-up site survey before quoting.
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