Medical establishment slashes yearly energy expenses by $1.3 million, boosting patient comfort levels
The 500-bed academic medical center, a leading provider of pediatrics, primary, and advanced medical care, has made a significant stride in environmental sustainability. The institution, which sees almost a million outpatient visits annually and is affiliated with a local university, has committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020.
In line with this commitment, the medical center has taken a proactive approach by participating in the Healthier Hospitals Leaner Energy Challenge. One of the key initiatives in this endeavour is the implementation of smart building technologies, which involves integrating various data sources such as real-time temperature and occupancy sensors, HVAC system status, and energy monitoring.
Cimetrics, a renowned provider of advanced building automation analytics and integration technologies, was selected to provide its Analytika Pro solution for five buildings at the medical center, totalling over 800,000 square feet. The collaboration also included partners Johnson Controls International (JCI) and Siemens.
Over 9,400 physical points were collected every 15 minutes, with the monitored systems including 41 air handling units, 19 hot water pumps, 11 chillers, and 10 heat exchangers, among others. Cimetrics engineers used the Analytika software to identify opportunities, determine root cause, and calculate annual savings impact.
The implementation of this solution has resulted in impressive savings. The medical center has reported annual energy savings of approximately $1.2 million (net present value), and an additional $100,000 from reduced operations and maintenance costs. Furthermore, the solution assisted in achieving 3,400+ metric tons in annual CO2 emissions reduction, equivalent to taking 715 cars off the road.
The Analytika software also provided actionable recommendations, documented and provided to the client through online and offline channels. These recommendations not only helped in reducing energy consumption and costs but also improved indoor environmental quality, contributing to patient and staff comfort.
The simple payback for the energy savings at the medical center was a swift 0.3 years, demonstrating the quick return on investment from this initiative. The medical center's success story underscores the potential of smart building technologies in achieving energy efficiency and sustainability goals in the healthcare sector.
References: 1. "Smart Buildings and Energy Efficiency: A Review of Key Technologies and Approaches." Energy Procedia 117 (2017): 446-454. 2. "Energy Management Programs for Large Institutional Settings: A Review of Successful Practices." Energy Policy 39, no. 10 (2011): 5493-5500.
Science plays a crucial role in the medical center's commitment to reducing medical-conditions associated with climate-change, as evidenced by their implementation of Environmental-science-related smart building technologies. These advancements, which aim to boost health-and-wellness by decreasing CO2 emissions, have generated significant energy savings and reduced operational costs, while also improving indoor environmental quality.
