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green sustainable Today's trends, what the future holds for healthcare energy management Efficiency radar BY MATT GATES ADVANCEMENTS IN BUILDING SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES AND OPERATING PRACTICES have driven substantial improvements in energy efficiency over the last several decades. The energy intensity of commercial buildings has gone down by about 8.5 percent since the 1980s, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. But the building industry has really just scratched the surface when it comes to realizing the full potential of energy management to improve energy efficiency, reduce costs and help organizations achieve financial and operational objectives. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the healthcare industry. Through effective energy management, hospitals can balance the energy intensity and utility spend with the need for high environmental quality to improve patient outcomes and reduce potential secondary infections. conventionally equipped and operated buildings, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Just as importantly, hospital leaders are starting to recognize that better-performing buildings improve the physical environment of care, enhance patient outcomes and create a better, more comfortable and more productive workplace for caregivers and staff. As evidence, the Center for Health Design has found that clinical outcomes improve in healthcare facilities where temperature, humidity and indoor air quality are effectively managed. In addition, researchers at the University of California-Berkley found that people are healthier, more productive and more satisfied in buildings that are LEED certified or designated as "green" by designers. Energy-saving opportunities abound for hospitals Advanced technology enables healthcare organizations to improve the energy performance of their buildings. For example, today's advanced building automation system technology shares data with utilities and lets healthcare organizations take advantage of the best available rates and comply with demand-response requirements. Modern building automation systems operate on web-based platforms and use reliable, high-speed Internet connections that enable facility teams and service partners to access heating, ventilation and air conditioning and other building systems anytime from any location. BAS dashboards, diagnostics and analytics — customized for healthcare organizations — let users view, monitor, track, trend and report conditions in one area, one building or across multiple buildings in a healthcare system. HVAC manufacturers and service providers also have developed powerful apps so users can easily access building systems using smart phones or tablets. The BAS also enables today's most advanced predictive, reliability-centered Hospital administrators are focused on doing more with less these days — less budget, less capital and less staff. As a result, energy efficiency has climbed on many healthcare organizations' to-do lists. Supported by design and construction partners, many hospitals are adopting high-performance building technologies and operating practices, along with advanced service models, to put energy efficiency front and center when launching new building projects or renovating existing facilities. High-performance buildings use 20-30 percent less energy and cost as much as 50 percent less to operate than IMAGE/COURTESY OF TRANE, A BRAND OF INGERSOLL RAND Hospitals, partners focus on energy efficiency Advanced diagnostics provide a low-cost, rapid method to analyze building performance. 36 Medical Construction & Design | November/December 2013 www.mcdmag.com