Platform for Energy-Efficient Hospitals - ways to a higher energy-efficiency

Status

completed

Summary

Concerning energy consumption, hospitals often are considered to be “a city in the city”: on the one hand, big hospitals need as much energy as small cities, on the other hand, they often have their own energy supply in order to be energy-self-sufficient in case of emergency.

An important criterion for investment and operating modes concerning energy management in hospitals is, of course, operating safety, whereas energy efficiency plays only a subordinate role. According to an extrapolation by e7, the costs for energy and water of all hospitals in Austria in 2008 amounted to about 225 million Euros, consumption of electricity being about 57% of the overall energy costs. Altogether, hospitals in Austria consume about 1% of the country’s total final energy, it can therefore be concluded that there is a vast energy conservation potential to be unlocked (and also feasible in economic terms).

The present project is based on the results of a previous project (“The energy-efficient hospital: realistic departure points and identification of possible measures”) and aims at reinforcing the cooperation between hospitals in Austria and at creating a so-called “Platform for Energy-Efficient Hospitals”, which will focus on the following three points:

• Setup of an internal energy-benchmarking tool for hospitals: this activity is supposed to be the central linking element of the platform
• Analysis of the possibility to increase efficiency of major medical devices
• Development of appropriate planning specifications concerning the thermic and energetic quality for the complete renovation and construction of hospitals

The development of these points was the result of an ongoing cooperation (e-mails, workshops, presentations) with representants from several hospitals, in order to adjust the result to the needs of the experts working in this sector.

The internal benchmark tool allows hospitals to compare their (anonymised) energy consumption with the consumption of other hospitals

In order to ensure energy efficiency with major medical devices (e.g. X-ray machines, etc), a guideline was created, showing which parameters can be used as criteria for energy efficiency when a new major device is to be bought.

A basis for discussion of about 60 pages shows, which planning specifications in the different federal states in Austria do already exist and by which specifications energy efficiency in buildings can be forced. Additionally, strategies for energy consumption monitoring and building certification are presented. This basis for discussion is considered to be work in progress.

e7 Energie Markt Analyse GmbH
Georg Benke, Klemens Leutgöb
Theresianumgasse 7/1/8
1040 Wien
Österreich
Tel.: +43 (1) 907 80 26
Fax: +43 (1) 907 80 26-10
E-Mail: office@e-sieben.at
Web: http://www.e-sieben.at

Österreichische Gesellschaft für Umwelt und Technik – ÖGUT
Daniel Baumgarten, Herbert Greisberger
Hollandstraße 10/46
1020 Wien
Österreich
Tel.: +43 (1) 315 63 93 30
Fax: +43 (1) 315 63 93 22
E-Mail: office@oegut.at
Web: www.oegut.at