DOE Unveils Initiative to Promote Energy Efficiency in Hospitals

July 24, 2008

DOE launched the EnergySmart Hospitals initiative on July 23, with the aim to increase the use of energy efficient technologies in hospitals across the United States. The EnergySmart Hospital initiative will provide hospitals with design strategies, advanced energy design guides, technology assessments, case studies, training sessions, and an interactive Web site to help hospitals increase their energy efficiency. The initiative intends to improve energy efficiency in existing hospitals by 20% and to help develop new hospitals that are 30% more efficient than the current building standards. It will also support hospitals in meeting the challenge of lowering costs while delivering quality patient care and maintaining healthy healing and work environments.

The nation's 8,000 hospitals are among the most energy intensive commercial buildings in the United States, with more than 2.5 times the energy intensity and carbon dioxide emissions of commercial office buildings. Last year, hospitals spent more than $5 billion on energy. Unlike many other commercial buildings, hospitals must remain fully operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provide services during power outages, natural disasters, and other events that would force other facilities to close. See the DOE press release and the EnergySmart Hospitals Web site.