Ascension Health
At a Glance
Industry
Health Care
Project Type
Commercial Energy Efficiency
Year
2012
Location
St. Louis, MO
Net Present Value:
$18,900,000
Annual kWh Savings:
40,000,000 kWh
Annual CO2 Reductions:
38,000 metric tons
Summary
Sara Brown determined ways to save energy in the operating rooms in Ascension's 81 acute care hospitals.
Goals
Ascension Health enlisted Sara Brown to help reduce its energy use 20 percent by 2020, a goal it committed to in 2011 as a founding member of the Better Buildings Challenge.
Solutions
Brown determined that the operating rooms in Ascension's 81 acute care hospitals offered the most promising opportunities to reach this goal. Due to their strict air exchange and pressure requirements, operating rooms are one of hospitals' biggest energy draws. Furthermore, Brown determined that Ascension's rooms are used only 40 to 80 hours a week. Retrofitting operating rooms with occupancy sensors could make a large impact on the hospitals' energy consumption.
Potential Impact
Over their lifetimes, Brown's projects could save Ascension $18.9 million in net operational costs. Annually, they could save 40 million kilowatt hours of electricity, 19,000 therms of natural gas and 38,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.