How to Build Energy Efficient Hospitals

Energy efficiency has become the most crucial aspect of any business today. Businesses that are not mindful of their energy consumption are being heavily battered by both media and consumers. Hospitals are amongst the heaviest consumers of energy. They need electricity 24*7 to power their critical equipment as well as air conditioning/ heating. With the usage of more sophisticated technology and equipment, their demand for power is bound to increase even more in the future. As such it is of utmost importance that hospitals use electricity diligently and think on the lines of energy efficiency to conserve power and use it more smartly.

Water geysers, tubular fluorescent lamps, refrigerators, air conditioning, and water pumps are the heaviest users of electricity in hospitals which can be regularized and fans and TVs are the least. Hence hospitals must change/retrofit the appliances which consume electricity heavily. Adopting renewable energy, improvement of thermal insulation, optimal building design, improvement of air conditioning and heating systems, optimizing electric energy installations, installing occupancy detection sensors, using LED lights, etc. are some of the ways energy management can be improved at hospitals. Though all these measures might sound cumbersome at first, they are going to result in not only reducing the carbon footprint of large hospitals but also lowering their electricity bills. Regular energy audits and monitoring systems should be strictly adhered to in order to check progress.

Here is a checklist for adopting energy efficiency measures at Hospitals:

• Adopting renewable energy sources
• Installing energy-efficient appliances
• LED light replacement
• Optimizing fuel consumption of boilers
• VFD installation
• Installing Air management systems
• Energy monitoring
• Optimizing equipment usage
• Building management system in HVAC

India is the third-largest health market globally given cost-effective treatment in the country and given the rising population, the demand for healthcare will increase further in the future. According to a study conducted by Energy Conservation Building Code, the Indian hospitals have the potential to conserve up to 42% of energy which is achievable by implementing energy-efficient measures. Not only must new hospitals be built on these lines but existing ones should also be retrofitted keeping energy-efficient practices in mind. It is easier to construct new buildings (green buildings) complying with energy efficiency norms rather than improving existing hospital buildings. Hence, more research, guidelines, and policies need to be focused on retrofitting existing facilities for energy conservation in hospital buildings.