Grumman/Butkus Associates (G/BA), a firm of energy efficiency consultants and sustainable design engineers, has released the results of its 2014 Hospital Energy and Water Benchmarking Survey, focusing on healthcare facilities’ resource usage trends and costs for calendar year 2013.
Since the survey was initiated 20 years ago, hospitals’ overall fossil fuel use has trended downward, but electricity use isn’t declining much. The average combined Btu/ft2 for facilities in the survey (electricity plus gas/steam) was 248,456, at a cost of $3.27/sf, compared with 235,731 Btu/sf and $3.09/sf in the 2013 survey (2012 data). Harsh Midwestern winter weather patterns undoubtedly had an adverse effect on energy consumption for hospitals participating in the 2014 survey.
Carbon footprint results have stayed fairly steady over time, at about 60 pounds of CO2 equivalent per sf per year. Water use is gradually declining, currently averaging just over 50 gallons per square foot per year (compared with nearly 70 gallons/sf/year a decade ago).
Hospitals’ energy costs per square foot (red boxes) have fluctuated greatly since 1999. Energy use intensity (Btu/sf/year) has drifted slightly downward but rose fairly sharply in 2013, probably due to inclement weather. ©2014 Grumman/Butkus Associates.
“Hospitals are under tremendous pressure to reduce operating costs,” says G/BA Chairman Daniel L. Doyle. “Reducing energy and water usage not only helps hospitals cut operating costs, but also helps them reduce the environmental impact of their operations.”
The survey has provided a free annual benchmarking resource since its initial release in 1995. Hospitals are invited to participate without charge by submitting responses to a short list of questions. Information for this edition, covering calendar year 2013, was provided by 102 hospitals located in Illinois (54), Wisconsin (29), Michigan (7), Minnesota (4), Indiana (3), and several other states.
“Hospitals have been investing in efficiency measures and making progress, but have much further to go," says Doyle “Electrical energy reduction measures such as lighting retrofits are being offset by the introduction of more and more electronic imaging equipment and fully digital recordkeeping. Though some of the low-hanging fruit is gone, there are still many cost-effective opportunities remaining for reducing energy usage and costs. The downward trend in water usage reflects a movement to eliminate city-water-cooled equipment, as well as the use of low-flow and occupancy-based plumbing fixtures. Again, there is still much room for improvement.”
Full results and analysis, as well as information about participating in the 2015 survey, are available at the firm’s website: http://grummanbutkus.com/why-we-excel/hospital-energy-water-survey. For additional information, contact Doyle (ddoyle@grummanbutkus.com) or Julie Higginbotham (jhigginbotham@grummanbutkus.com).
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 18, 2015
Healthcare design partnership asks: What about the doctor?
HDR's Abbie Clary discusses the design of healthcare facilities and how they affect doctors.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 16, 2015
Healthcare planning in a post-ACA world: 3 strategies for success
Healthcare providers are seeking direction on how to plan for a value-based world while still very much operating in a volume-based market. CBRE Healthcare's Curtis Skolnick offers helpful strategies.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose
Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.
Codes and Standards | Mar 5, 2015
Charlotte, N.C., considers rule for gender-neutral public bathrooms
A few other cities, including Philadelphia, Austin, Texas, and Washington D.C., already have gender-neutral bathroom regulations.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 1, 2015
Are you ready for high-rise hospitals?
The vertical hospital environment may be the wave of the future, but it is not without its design challenges.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 26, 2015
Florida lifts 14-year ban on nursing home construction
Some $430 million of new space for senior care in Florida has been approved after the state ended a 14-year ban on nursing home construction.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 17, 2015
10 healthcare trends worth sharing
The rise of the medical home model of care and ongoing Lean value stream improvement are among the top healthcare industry trends.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 11, 2015
Primer: Using 'parallel estimating' to pinpoint costs on healthcare construction projects
As pressure increases to understand capital cost prior to the first spade touching dirt, more healthcare owners are turning to advanced estimating processes, like parallel estimating, to improve understanding of exposure, writes CBRE Healthcare's Andrew Sumner.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 5, 2015
5 developments selected as 'best in urban placemaking'
Falls Park on the Reedy in Greenville, S.C., and the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Downtown Market are among the finalists for the 2015 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 1, 2015
7 new factors shaping hospital emergency departments
A new generation of highly efficient emergency care facilities is upping the ante on patient care and convenience while helping to reposition hospital systems within their local markets.