Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency can enhance human health by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thereby improving outdoor air quality and curbing global climate change and acid rain. The energy needed to run commercial and industrial buildings in the United States produces 19 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, 12 percent of nitrogen oxides, and 25 percent of sulfur dioxide, at a cost of $110 billion a year.

Healthcare organizations spent over $8.3 billion on energy in 2007. By implementing the Energy Star Program in your facility, you could reduce emissions and cut your energy bill. Energy Star is a partnership of the EPA, the Department of Energy, and over 8,000 private and public sector organizations that provides extensive technical information and other resources promoting energy efficiency. In particular, Energy Star for Healthcare offers an extensive collection of information specific to the health care sector.

Specifying highly efficient building equipment – boilers, chillers, and air conditioners – can greatly reduce a facility’s energy consumption while maintaining comfort. All HVAC units should be properly sized and selected for high efficiency. A basic requirement for energy efficiency is compliance with any existing Energy Star or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) standard for the equipment category (whichever is more stringent), with preference given to those models showing the highest energy efficiency ratings according to Energy Star/FEMP assessment criteria. For HVAC equipment see Energy Star Qualified Products.. For information on Green Seal certified chillers, see their Environmental Standards and Product/Service list.

The US Department of Energy provides several energy efficiency fact sheets on buying energy efficient equipment including:

• How to Buy an Energy Efficient Commercial Unitary Air Conditioner
• How to Buy an Energy-Efficient Water-Cooled Chiller
• How to Buy an Energy-Efficient Air-Cooled Chiller
• How to Buy an Energy-Efficient Commercial Boiler
• How to Buy an Energy Efficient Commercial Heat Pump
• How to Buy an Energy Efficient Ground Source Heat Pump
• How to Buy an Energy Efficient Centrifugal Pumping System