A solar installation at East Anglian Air Ambulance’s Norwich Airport base has secured second place in the National Solar PV Project of the Year category at the 2026 National Energy Efficiency Awards.
The award was presented in Birmingham on Friday October 9 and recognises a technically demanding renewable energy project delivered for the emergency charity by Norfolk-based commercial solar specialists Power Different.
The project was one of two Power Different-designed installations shortlisted nationally, alongside a solar and battery infrastructure project at Sandringham Estate.
A Norfolk project making a difference
East Anglian Air Ambulance provides life-saving emergency medical care across the region, making reliability and uninterrupted operations essential.
Installing solar at its Norwich Airport base presented several significant challenges.
The site operates within a live aviation environment, requiring strict compliance with airport security procedures, aviation regulations and operational safety requirements.
The installation also involved an aircraft hangar that was unable to support conventional solar panels.
The project brought together the charity’s operational knowledge and Power Different’s specialist engineering expertise. A lightweight solar solution was developed for the hangar, with installation carefully co-ordinated around emergency helicopter operations.
The completed 92.3 kWp solar system is expected to generate approximately 83,450 kWh of electricity annually, offsetting around 40% of the base’s electricity requirements.
As well as reducing the charity’s environmental impact, the installation offers an opportunity to lower long-term electricity costs, helping protect resources for its essential emergency medical services.
James Edwards, Estates Manager for East Anglian Air Ambulance said: “The cost savings and resilience generated by the solar panels are excellent news for our patients because they allow us to channel our valuable resources to exactly where they’re needed.
“The lessons learned from working with Power Different on this installation serve as the proof of concept that will be carried forward to our biggest project – the construction and development of the new Cambridge Air Base.”
A shared achievement with long-term benefits
The national second-place result follows a regional win for the same installation, which was named Small Scale Project of the Year at the East of England Energy Efficiency Awards earlier in 2026.
Power Different’s other national finalist, a centralised solar farm and battery infrastructure project at Sandringham Estate, illustrates another way that tailored renewable energy engineering can address unusual site requirements.
The Sandringham project included a 1 MW ground-mounted solar array, battery storage and a bespoke private electricity distribution network designed to overcome complex grid and operational constraints.
In both cases, the results depended on understanding the site, working with stakeholders and designing around real operational constraints.
An ongoing Norfolk partnership
The award comes during Power Different’s tenth year in business.
East Anglian Air Ambulance is the company’s chosen charity partner for 2026, building on the relationship established through the solar installation.
For East Anglian Air Ambulance, the lasting benefit is a source of on-site electricity designed to reduce its running costs. For the local engineering team, the award acknowledges the technical work and collaboration needed to deliver it.
The national recognition is an achievement shared by everyone involved in making the project possible.
Power Different is a Norfolk-based commercial solar and battery storage specialist delivering bespoke, engineering-led renewable energy solutions for businesses and organisations across the UK.