Energy efficiency overhaul needed in hospitals

The Hospital Energy Alliance and the EnergySmart Hospital Initiative will help push a revolution in energy efficiency.

By Source: Environmental Leader, U.S. Dept. of Energy July 27, 2009

According to a story in Environmental Leader , hospitals and health care facilities are primed for a revolution in energy efficiency, achieved through changes as far-ranging as lighting, cooling towers, employee workflow, and even on-site solar and wind.

As a sector, hospitals and health care facilities account for a disproportionate amount of energy use and emissions. Hospitals use about 2.5 times the amount of energy as a similar-sized commercial building, because they are open 24 hours a day and have extra commitments on air filtration and circulation, air cooling, and waste management, experts say.

This overhaul has been brewing for some time. In May, the Dept. of Energy (DOE) announced the launch of the Hospital Energy Alliance (HEA) , an industry-led partnership between the national healthcare leaders and DOE to promote the integration of advanced energy efficiency and renewable technologies in hospital design, construction, retrofit, operations, and maintenance.

And in July 2008, DOE announced the EnergySmart Hospital Initiative to increase the use of energy-efficient technologies in hospitals across the United States.