By Healthcare Facilities Today

Middlesex Hospital, Middleton Conn., said it has saved 30 percent on its energy costs since installing a new generating system last year, according to an article on The Hartford Courant website.

The hospital uses natural gas to generate 90 to 100 percent of its power needs in its combined heat and power system. As the generator runs and creates electricity, the system captures excess heat exhaust and uses it to make steam, the article said.

"With all that heat normally lost into the atmosphere, we make steam," David Giuffrida, the hospital's vice president of facilities and support services, said in the article. The steam is used on the hospital campus for heating and cooling, and to make hot water, Giuffrida said.

Taking advantage of the steam and the heat the generator gives off allows the hospital to use natural gas to generate its own power for the equivalent of 300 days a year, Giuffrida said. Electricity is purchased from Connecticut Light & Power during the highest-demand periods, mostly in the summer when the hospital is running air conditioners.

Depending on natural gas and electricity prices, the hospital estimates savings at $500,000 to $750,000 per year, according to the article

Middlesex Hospital began using its new power system in April 2013 after a year-long construction project. The project has been classified a Class 3 renewable energy system because of its high efficiency despite burning fossil fuel.

The new power plant includes a noise-resistant room for the generator and a system of pipes to transport the steam.

Read the article.