Michelle Shadpour, PE, CPD and Steven Shadpour, CxA, CPE of SC Engineers Discusses Decarbonization of Hospitals Through Automated Commissioning
Buildings account for nearly 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. While healthcare buildings account for 4% of total commercial floor space, these buildings account for approximately 9% of energy consumption in commercial buildings[i]. Healthcare facilities, with their around-the-clock operations and stringent environmental control requirements, pose a significant challenge. Achieving substantial carbon reductions in these settings requires innovative approaches to managing energy consumption and system performance.
Decarbonization reduces carbon dioxide emissions through energy efficiency measures and utilization of renewable energy sources. Decarbonization of hospitals, or any building, is only possible by reducing total energy consumption. While equipment efficiencies are in the hands of the manufacturers, the actual use and control of the systems are dictated by the facility. As countless retro-commissioning projects geared to fine-tune building systems to ensure optimal performance have shown, much of the energy used in hospitals is wasted due to improper sequences of operation. These inefficiencies include simultaneous heating and cooling and air conditioning spaces, even when unoccupied at night. Some hospital engineers estimate that up to 70% of energy consumed by various systems is wasted.
