The healthcare sector, though ripe with opportunity, faces many barriers as they seek to address energy efficiency in their facilities. Michaels Energy recently conducted a pilot exploring two different approaches to engaging outpatient medical facilities in energy efficiency through on-going commissioning. In this webinar, Michaels will share findings from each of these approaches.
For larger outpatient surgical centers, the team implemented a real-time energy dashboard and supported the facilities as they implemented recommissioning measures. For smaller, outpatient medical clinics, the team piloted a contractor driven energy assessment toolkit developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The project also included some broader data gathering in additional facilities to develop a benchmark for this sector in Minnesota. Finally, the project team investigated two energy-efficiency measures specific to surgical spaces in ASCs (Ambulatory Surgical Centers): scheduling of outdoor air and reduction of relative humidity. Both measures and their required MDH approval processes will be discussed.
Key findings that will be shared in the webinar include: the inaccuracy of national benchmarks as they pertain to the Minnesota outpatient facility population; benefits and challenges of each on-going commissioning strategy; energy savings achieved during the pilot implementation; and discussion about the barriers and opportunities facing the health care sector as it seeks to address energy efficiency.