NHS Scotland welcomes its first pop-up solar car park and electric vehicle charging hub

3ti, the UK’s leading designer, installer, funder and operator of Solar Car Parks, has completed the installation of a Papilio3 pop-up solar car park and electric vehicle (EV) charging hub at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, Scotland. The latest delivery is the first of its kind to be operational in Scotland and provides hospital users with access to 12 charge points boosted by renewable energy.

With a fleet of EVs already in operation at the hospital, Papilio3 will support destination and workplace EV charging, while addressing the growing demand for accessible and convenient charging in an area where long dwell times are common.

The rapidly installed unit has helped Raigmore Hospital quickly boost its EV charging infrastructure and will encourage EV adoption in the area by providing affordable, low-carbon charging for everyone, regardless of access to off-street parking or geographic location.

The multi award-winning Papilio3 is built around a recycled shipping container and can be installed in under eight hours. It can be easily transported and set up almost anywhere in the world, making it the perfect solution for one of the most Northernly located hospitals in the UK. Today, Papilio3 is already in operation at several facilities across the UK, designed to solve many of the challenges facing transport, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Papilio3 offers a significantly improved experience to other charging stations and is pre-fitted with a back-office billing system and a range of technology and user features. The water-tight canopy keeps EV drivers dry, while energy saving motion sensors automatically operate the lights when a customer approaches. Fully operational CCTV also provides additional safety and security for the public.

Papilio3 is available from 3ti on a rental contract and therefore requires no capital investment by customers. With a solar capacity of 19.32kWp, the installed Papilio3 will generate on average 18MWh of electricity annually – which equates to over 63,000 miles of EV range – and can fast charge up to 12 EVs simultaneously at 7, 11 or 22kW.

Brian Johnstone, Head of Energy, Environment and Sustainability at NHS Highland, said: “As part of our commitment to supporting the delivery of healthcare in the future, we understand that our environmental responsibilities go beyond our own services. As an organisation, we are looking to develop innovative ways to harness electricity and utilise renewable energy on-site which Papilio3 is a great example of. With the introduction of Papilio3, NHS Highland is now in better positioned to support patients, staff and visitors with EVs at Raigmore. We hope that this investment in EV infrastructure helps to convince others to make the switch over to zero-emission vehicles.”

Shaun Wightman-Smith, Business Development Manager at 3ti, commented: “We are proud to deliver another Papilio3, adding to our growing portfolio of applications, this time in the Scottish Highlands. The location of our latest installation showcases the impressive capability of our innovative solar car park, which is designed to provide EV charging infrastructure and reduce grid dependency to a range of facilities in different locations in the UK.