Foundations for the new Martha’s Vineyard Hospital won’t be poured until spring, but already the hospital has big plans for the rooftops.

This week the hospital received notice from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the state’s development agency for renewable energy and the innovation economy, that the hospital will receive a $198,000 design and construction grant for solar electric panels atop the new building.

The $370,000 project calls for 200 photovoltaic panels on south-facing roof surfaces of the new hospital, with a peak generative capacity of about 44 kilowatts. When completed, it will be the largest solar electric installation in Island history.

In a prepared statement this week Tim Walsh, hospital president and chief executive officer, said the hospital plans to seek a silver rating for its new building from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council. If the effort is successful, the Island hospital will be one of just a handful of hospitals in the United States to receive this high level of certification for earth-friendly design and construction.

“During our capital campaign for funds to construct the new hospital, we heard clearly from the Island community that our supporters wanted a high-performance, environmentally responsible facility,” Mr. Walsh said in the statement.

The new hospital is slated for completion late in 2009. Designers and builders have been incorporating green practices throughout the project. When trees had to be removed for a new entrance drive, they were dug up and replanted rather than chopped down. To recharge rainwater into the ground, a system of leaching basins is being built. And during the construction process, more than 75 per cent of all building waste is being recycled.

“We’re convinced that a greener building is a healthier building — for our staff, our patients and ultimately our community,” Mr. Walsh said.