Five energy saving ideas every hospital should use
June 5, 2019
Hospitals consume a lot of energy because they’re filled with equipment that requires a lot of power to keep people healthy and alive. Getting rid of this equipment isn’t an option, so hosptials need to find other ways to cut down on energy consumption to lower utility bills.
Five ideas for saving energy in hospitals
Lowering the amount of energy your hospital consumes saves money that can be used to fund other operations of your hospital. Below are five ways you can reduce the energy consumption of your hospital:
- Switch to efficient lighting — Annually, lighting is one of the greatest energy-consuming aspects of a hospital. You can reduce the impact lighting has on your energy consumption rate by using more energy efficient bulbs. Use LEDs and fluorescents in light fixtures instead of incandescents. These kinds of bulbs last longer and consume a lot less energy.
- Regularly clean and inspect your refrigeration — Hospitals often use commercial refrigeration units to preserve biological samples and medications. They are also used in the kitchens of hospitals that have cafeterias. These refrigeration units can consume a lot of energy, especially if there are any broken, clogged or malfunctioning components.
Talk to a refrigeration professional about regularly cleaning and inspecting the commercial refrigeration units in your hospital to ensure they’re consuming as little energy as possible. - Maintain your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) — As with commercial refrigeration, anything that is broken, clogged or malfunctioning in your HVAC can drive up energy consumption rates. Routine cleaning and maintenance can keep the energy consumption of your HVAC at a minimum.
- Turn off unused equipment — Turning off unused equipment and lights goes a long way in lowering energy consumption rates and utility bills. Make sure you and your staff are trained in turning off anything that’s not in use to keep energy consumption at a minimum.
- Schedule an energy analysis — You can bring in an energy professional to perform an energy analysis. This is beneficial because an energy professional can identify areas of your hospital that are wasting energy and recommend solutions that can reduce energy waste.
Contact Energy Optimization for hospital energy optimization services
Keeping the energy consumption rates of your hospital low can help you have more budget to allocate toward other areas. Our team at Energy Optimization can analyze the energy performance of your hospital and implement solutions to save energy. Contact us today to learn more about optimizing energy in healthcare facilities.
