In 2013, Ohio-based Mercy Health secured new electricity, natural gas and demand response contracts for 19 facilities, according to an article on the Fierce Healthcare website.
The effort is expected save Mercy more than $300,000 in the first year.
Mercy Health saved millions of dollars in the past five years by identifying energy saving opportunities, according to Calvin Wright, chief resource officer.
Hospital leaders must understand what a utility has to offer before they decide on a demand response contract, and the impact the utility program has on the hospital's long-term energy management plan, the article said.
The U.S. Department of Energy has said hospitals can save up to 30 percent of their annual energy costs by implementing new retrofit guidelines.
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