Five steps for improving hospital energy efficiency
February 11, 2019
Hospitals require a lot of energy for a lot of reasons. They need energy for basic lighting and HVAC needs, but they also need energy to keep vital life-saving systems in operation. Because there is so much in a hospital that consumes energy, the energy costs of many hospitals are very high.
It doesn’t have to be this way, though. You will always have energy upkeep in your hospital, but you can lower your energy costs by following the five energy saving tips below.
Five tips for a more energy-efficient hospital
- Take care of your HVAC — The costs of running your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system can be high when there are leaks or clogs anywhere in the system. Make sure to regularly change your filters and check that your fans aren’t clogged or dirty.
- Use better lighting — Fluorescent and LED lights are the way to go when it comes to lighting your facility. Incandescent bulbs are cheaper upfront but they do not last long and they consume a lot more energy than fluorescents and LEDs.
- Turn it off when you’re finished — You and your staff members should get in the habit of turning off unused equipment. In a hospital, there is a lot of equipment that cannot be shut off, but there is also a lot that you can turn off.
Shut down computers when not in use or turn the lights off in any unused rooms to help keep your long-term costs low. It might be hard to believe that this makes a big difference, but it does. - Use more renewable energy sources — Solar panels and skylights are excellent alternatives to running energy from the grid. These can be expensive to install but they last a long time and require little maintenance. You may not be able to use solar energy for your entire system, but you can use it for some parts of your hospital that don’t use lifesaving equipment.
- Schedule an energy audit — An energy expert can visit your hospital to look for anything that might be causing your energy costs to be too high. He or she can develop a solution for any of these issues to help reduce your energy costs.
Contact Energy Optimization for an energy analysis
An energy analysis from Energy Optimization is a great step to take in improving your hospital’s energy efficiency. We have team members all across the nation ready to help you reduce your energy consumption rates. Contact us today to discover how our team can help you.
