SUH given green light for installation of 2,300 solar panels on its roof

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Sligo County Council have granted planning permission to Sligo University Hospital to install 2,300 photovoltaic (PV) panels, that produce electricity when exposed to light, resulting in a combined coverage area of approximately 4,600 m² across the roofs of buildings within the hospital campus.

The application for permission seeks to have solar panels installed on the roofs of several buildings including a 1940s institutional building which is a protected structure within the hospital campus, the Specialist Mental Health Unit (SMHU) and the Northwest Hospice which is currently under construction.

An aviation glare report was carried out by Rose Aviation to specifically determine if there would be any detrimental effect on helicopter aeromedical flights to the helipad at SUH.

It was noted in the report, “There is a small potential for hazardous glare for aviation receptors at the helipad at SUH arising from the proposed construction of the solar PV arrays at SUH. However this will happen for less than 0.18% of the time annually (with 100% clear skies) and as such Rose Aviation can declare that this is not a significant threat provided aeromedical operators are informed of this.”

The report found the construction of the proposed solar panels will not have a significant impact on helicopter flight safety in the Sligo area.

A heritage Impact Assessment was also conducted and revealed “The development is visually discreet” and “There is minimal/no material alteration or loss of historic fabric.”