A new roof at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary includes 36 solar photo voltaic panels which measure 6m long by 1m wide.

The panels are thought to be the first of their kind to be fitted on a hospital roof in England.

The hospital is hoping the panels will help slash its fuel bills, which rose by 81 per cent to �3,288,138 last year.

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary is run by the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, along with the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax and St Luke's Hospital in Huddersfield.

'Eco-conscious'

Ray Gledhill, from the trust, said there was a potential for the panels to be installed at the other two sites.

He said: "The early signs are they are performing very well - even on cloudy days, which is good for Huddersfield and Halifax. We are also happy to be eco-conscious and to contribute to our local environments.."

The trust said the rise in its fuel bills was due to an increase in prices and tough, new regulations for hospitals on how waste should be disposed of.

The solar panels are one of a number of measures it has come up with to help reduce its fuel costs.

They include appointing 'green champions' to identify areas where the trust can become more energy-conscious and a cash-back scheme where savings made through staff ideas are returned to each division.