ENERGY SELF-MANAGEMENT
(Part 3 Green Hospitals)
FOREWORD
In a hospital, the focus should be on gaining efficiency in energy consumption, with the consequent quantitative savings, without sacrificing the quality of care.
The solution for a correct and assured supply is, in our opinion, Energy Self-Generation.
PRESENT
The Health sector consumes a large amount of energy from fossil fuels in both industrialized and developing countries.
These institutions HOSPITALS are the main buildings with the highest consumption in each region, with numbers that are increasing.
In them, any standard operating procedure (heating water, indoor temperature and humidity control, ventilation and lighting) requires significant energy expenditure, generating a high financial cost and the emission of greenhouse gasses.
ACCUMULATED PROBLEMS
Hospitals are building structures with great difficulty in meeting the energy consumption requirement levels, so as they are fundamental pillars of the healthcare system and impact the health of the planet, they must improve energy efficiency in all their activities.
Much of the damage that energy misuse causes to the environment and public health comes from the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas).
The emissions generated for this reason are one of the main factors of global climate change and health problems at the local level due to high carbon pollution.
CLEAN SELF-GENERATION
It is necessary to leave fuel-based models behind, trying to consume from the electrical grid instead of gas to improve all environmental conditions, since health institutions have a great demand for heating and cooling.
We promote the use of alternative forms of clean and renewable energy such as SOLAR and WIND for lighting, heat generation, pumping and heating of water since they are a sustainable and economic option.
With the implementation of renewable energies on site and correct efficiency habits, direct emissions from fossil consumption are reduced by up to 80% in some cases.
Investment in the energy area of the health sector and the various financing mechanisms are key, offering economically viable alternatives for each case, where significant savings are achieved both in government subsidies and in economic costs for each institution.
CONSEQUENCES
The greatest energy expenditure in our health centers comes from consumption due to air conditioning, the large emission of greenhouse gasses added to the consequences of climate change on health.
The chronic diseases that this generates constitute a problem to be solved by reducing pollution and improving energy use through self-management in said area.
Both in the building design phase and in the adaptation of existing ones, they implement structural measures, management systems, good practices and improvements in the habits of professionals, employees and patients.
The future of efficient hospitals involves an adequate design from the initial project or renovation, offering guarantees in the control of energy quality, its operation and maintenance.
HOSPITAL SOLUTIONS
In the centers already built, we improve the possibilities in the energy area by implementing structural measures such as the replacement of obsolete equipment and improvements in lighting circuits or electrical network control systems.
When planning new hospitals, management systems and good practices must be in place that guarantee optimal energy performance.
We opt for clean and renewable energy, in addition to this we carry out periodic audits and apply a plan to change habits to create awareness at all levels among institutional staff.
We measure and compare with systematic reference parameters the global energy consumption of the health sector with local consumption and thus reduce the emission of toxic gasses.
We provide educational programs in order to reduce energy consumption in facilities and spaces by enforcing regulations under various warnings if they are not met.
Initial technical planning, review of procedures and resources, analysis of variables and opportunities for improvements are required to obtain results that will be subjected to frequent audits and comparative studies.
Verification of legal requirements by responsible and trained personnel will be necessary in this change process.
SYNTHESIS:
The character of self-management is essential for successful change. The ethical commitment to such change, the responsible participation of the technical staff involved, and the leadership in charge of conductive direction are vital for a positive achievement in these projects.
With trained technical personnel, proposals must be created to reduce the consumption of hospital energy systems (obsolete ones in underdeveloped countries and modern ones in building planning), which optimizes their use and increases their efficiency.
Economically viable opportunities must also be recognized for each case and internal measures must be implemented to avoid energy losses.
A “culture of energy savings” must be generated, appealing to the responsibility of staff and patients after promoting a change in habits.
Alternative energies, the incorporation of sunlight, panels, green roofs, natural ventilation of hospital environments and planted spaces constitute a challenge in the planning of a community health center. Any company or investor that bets on these lines of business must evaluate the economic profitability and its environmental impact.
CONCLUSION:
Contributing to leading efforts for a healthier climate is that the challenge of hospital energy self-management attempts to implement efficiency and generation of clean renewable energy with a positive impact on the environment by reducing costs by optimizing demand.
This constitutes a key point towards the promotion of energy policies that promote its correct use to achieve healthy health management in said area.
There will be a positive effect on the hospital image through adequate publicity about the improvements and results, which will result in institutional economic benefits, also on the environment due to savings in lighting and air conditioning in response to social awareness.
AUTHOR:
- MARCELO FABIÁN SAITTA
UNIVERSITY SPECIALIST DOCTOR IN PEDIATRICS
- LAURA SILVIA ADDUCI
UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SPECIALIST IN NEUROSURGERY
- MARÍA VERÓNICA VIÑAS CHACIOR
MEDICAL SPECIALIST IN GENERAL SURGERY
- NATALIA SPAHO
UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SPECIALIST IN NEUROSURGERY
TOGETHER WORK WITH BALGREEN.ORG.org
- DELFINA FRERS CEO &
- DR. DIEGO BALVERDE
ENERGY SELF-MANAGEMENT
(Part 3 Green Hospitals)
FOREWORD
In a hospital, the focus should be on gaining efficiency in energy consumption, with the consequent quantitative savings, without sacrificing the quality of care.
The solution for a correct and assured supply is, in our opinion, Energy Self-Generation.
PRESENT
The Health sector consumes a large amount of energy from fossil fuels in both industrialized and developing countries.
These institutions HOSPITALS are the main buildings with the highest consumption in each region, with numbers that are increasing.
In them, any standard operating procedure (heating water, indoor temperature and humidity control, ventilation and lighting) requires significant energy expenditure, generating a high financial cost and the emission of greenhouse gasses.
ACCUMULATED PROBLEMS
Hospitals are building structures with great difficulty in meeting the energy consumption requirement levels, so as they are fundamental pillars of the healthcare system and impact the health of the planet, they must improve energy efficiency in all their activities.
Much of the damage that energy misuse causes to the environment and public health comes from the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas).
The emissions generated for this reason are one of the main factors of global climate change and health problems at the local level due to high carbon pollution.
CLEAN SELF-GENERATION
It is necessary to leave fuel-based models behind, trying to consume from the electrical grid instead of gas to improve all environmental conditions, since health institutions have a great demand for heating and cooling.
We promote the use of alternative forms of clean and renewable energy such as SOLAR and WIND for lighting, heat generation, pumping and heating of water since they are a sustainable and economic option.
With the implementation of renewable energies on site and correct efficiency habits, direct emissions from fossil consumption are reduced by up to 80% in some cases.
Investment in the energy area of the health sector and the various financing mechanisms are key, offering economically viable alternatives for each case, where significant savings are achieved both in government subsidies and in economic costs for each institution.
CONSEQUENCES
The greatest energy expenditure in our health centers comes from consumption due to air conditioning, the large emission of greenhouse gasses added to the consequences of climate change on health.
The chronic diseases that this generates constitute a problem to be solved by reducing pollution and improving energy use through self-management in said area.
Both in the building design phase and in the adaptation of existing ones, they implement structural measures, management systems, good practices and improvements in the habits of professionals, employees and patients.
The future of efficient hospitals involves an adequate design from the initial project or renovation, offering guarantees in the control of energy quality, its operation and maintenance.
HOSPITAL SOLUTIONS
In the centers already built, we improve the possibilities in the energy area by implementing structural measures such as the replacement of obsolete equipment and improvements in lighting circuits or electrical network control systems.
When planning new hospitals, management systems and good practices must be in place that guarantee optimal energy performance.
We opt for clean and renewable energy, in addition to this we carry out periodic audits and apply a plan to change habits to create awareness at all levels among institutional staff.
We measure and compare with systematic reference parameters the global energy consumption of the health sector with local consumption and thus reduce the emission of toxic gasses.
We provide educational programs in order to reduce energy consumption in facilities and spaces by enforcing regulations under various warnings if they are not met.
Initial technical planning, review of procedures and resources, analysis of variables and opportunities for improvements are required to obtain results that will be subjected to frequent audits and comparative studies.
Verification of legal requirements by responsible and trained personnel will be necessary in this change process.
SYNTHESIS:
The character of self-management is essential for successful change. The ethical commitment to such change, the responsible participation of the technical staff involved, and the leadership in charge of conductive direction are vital for a positive achievement in these projects.
With trained technical personnel, proposals must be created to reduce the consumption of hospital energy systems (obsolete ones in underdeveloped countries and modern ones in building planning), which optimizes their use and increases their efficiency.
Economically viable opportunities must also be recognized for each case and internal measures must be implemented to avoid energy losses.
A “culture of energy savings” must be generated, appealing to the responsibility of staff and patients after promoting a change in habits.
Alternative energies, the incorporation of sunlight, panels, green roofs, natural ventilation of hospital environments and planted spaces constitute a challenge in the planning of a community health center. Any company or investor that bets on these lines of business must evaluate the economic profitability and its environmental impact.
CONCLUSION:
Contributing to leading efforts for a healthier climate is that the challenge of hospital energy self-management attempts to implement efficiency and generation of clean renewable energy with a positive impact on the environment by reducing costs by optimizing demand.
This constitutes a key point towards the promotion of energy policies that promote its correct use to achieve healthy health management in said area.
There will be a positive effect on the hospital image through adequate publicity about the improvements and results, which will result in institutional economic benefits, also on the environment due to savings in lighting and air conditioning in response to social awareness.
AUTHOR:
- MARCELO FABIÁN SAITTA
UNIVERSITY SPECIALIST DOCTOR IN PEDIATRICS
- LAURA SILVIA ADDUCI
UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SPECIALIST IN NEUROSURGERY
- MARÍA VERÓNICA VIÑAS CHACIOR
MEDICAL SPECIALIST IN GENERAL SURGERY
- NATALIA SPAHO
UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SPECIALIST IN NEUROSURGERY
TOGETHER WORK WITH BALGREEN.ORG.org
- DELFINA FRERS CEO &
- DR. DIEGO BALVERDE
