When thinking about how to reduce energy use in hospitals, one of the first questions to ask is: Where do hospitals use energy today?
According to an article on the Facilities Net website, the follow-up question is: What are the greatest targets for energy efficiency and how can they be addressed in a way that maintains functionality and patient comfort in the healthcare environment?
One of the best resources for understanding how energy is used in hospitals comes from a study conducted by the University of Washington Integrated Design Lab in conjunction with Solarc A+E at the Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital in Vancouver, Wash., published in 2012.
The article includes a breakdown of the particular uses. For instance, reheat energy use is driven by the conventional practice of over-chilling incoming air to drive moisture out of it, then re-heating it as needed for thermal comfort in VAV boxes.
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