Grumman/Butkus Associates, a firm of energy efficiency consultants and sustainable design engineers, recently released the results of its 2016 Hospital Energy and Water Benchmarking Survey, focusing on healthcare facilities’ resource usage trends and costs for calendar year 2015.
Since G/BA initiated the survey more than 20 years ago, hospitals’ overall fossil fuel use has trended downward, but electricity use isn’t declining as much. The average combined Btu/ft2 (electricity plus gas/steam) for participating facilities was 237,998 in CY2015, slightly down from 239,591 in CY2014.
Square-foot prices for gas/steam were down significantly year-to-year ($0.82 in 2015, compared with $1.02 in 2014), but square-foot prices for electricity rose ($2.28 in 2015, vs. $2.16 in 2014). The overall result is that hospitals’ total ft2 costs for energy (gas/steam plus electric) declined: $3.11 for 2015, compared with $3.18 for 2014.
Hospitals’ average carbon footprint has remained fairly steady at about 60 pounds of CO2 equivalent per ft2 per year since G/BA began calculating carbon data in 1999. “If we are going to address the very daunting issue of climate change, the healthcare industry must make greater strides in reducing its carbon footprint,” says Dan Doyle, G/BA Chairman. “As the trend data shows, not enough progress is being made so far.”
Participating facilities displayed a broad range of usage patterns. For instance, some participants are using more than 200,000 BTU/ft2 in fossil fuel annually, compared with a general mid-range of facilities (about 130,000 BTU/ft2/year) and those that used least (75,000 BTU/ft2/year or less). Similarly, a few hospitals consume more than 40 kWh/ft2/year in electricity, compared with a mid-range of about 25 kWh/ft2/year. A few squeaked by with less than 18 kWh/ft2.
“Facilities that have high unit costs for energy should view this as an opportunity,” says Doyle. “For example, an energy conservation project that would have a five-year payback at an ‘average’ facility may have a payback of just 2.5 or 3 years at a facility with higher unit costs for energy.”
Hospital water/sewer use is also gradually declining, currently averaging about 45 gallons per square foot per year (compared with nearly 70 gallons/ ft2/year a decade ago). Costs for water/sewer are rising, however, now averaging $0.39/ft2. As recently as 2007, hospitals were paying about $0.27/ft2. “G/BA expects the trend of rising water and sewer costs to continue,” says Doyle. “Price hikes not only reflect increasing costs to extract and treat the water, but also the fact that cash-strapped governmental entities may view water as a revenue source.”
Since 1995, the G/BA survey has provided a free annual benchmarking resource. Hospitals are invited to participate by submitting responses to a short list of questions. Information for this edition was provided by 137 hospitals located in Illinois (56), Wisconsin (31), Michigan (29), Indiana (10), and six other states.
Full results and analysis, as well as information about participating in the 2017 survey (2016 data), are available at the firm’s website: grummanbutkus.com/HES. For additional information, contact Dan Doyle (ddoyle@grummanbutkus.com) or Julie Higginbotham (jhigginbotham@grummanbutkus.c
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Oct 21, 2016
The world’s 100 tallest buildings: Which architects have designed the most?
Two firms stand well above the others when it comes to the number of tall buildings they have designed.
Market Data | Oct 19, 2016
Architecture Billings Index slips consecutive months for first time since 2012
“This recent backslide should act as a warning signal,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker.
Market Data | Oct 11, 2016
Building design revenue topped $28 billion in 2015
Growing profitability at architecture firms has led to reinvestment and expansion
Market Data | Oct 4, 2016
Nonresidential spending slips in August
Public sector spending is declining faster than the private sector.
Industry Research | Oct 3, 2016
Structure Tone survey shows cost is still a major barrier to building green
Climate change, resilience and wellness are also growing concerns.
Industry Research | Sep 27, 2016
Sterling Risk Sentiment Index indicates risk exposure perception remains stable in construction industry
Nearly half (45%) of those polled say election year uncertainty has a negative effect on risk perception in the construction market.
Market Data | Sep 22, 2016
Architecture Billings Index slips, overall outlook remains positive
Business conditions are slumping in the Northeast.
Market Data | Sep 20, 2016
Backlog skyrockets for largest firms during second quarter, but falls to 8.5 months overall
While a handful of commercial construction segments continue to be associated with expanding volumes, for the most part, the average contractor is no longer getting busier, says ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu.
Designers | Sep 13, 2016
5 trends propelling a new era of food halls
Food halls have not only become an economical solution for restauranteurs and chefs experiencing skyrocketing retail prices and rents in large cities, but they also tap into our increased interest in gourmet locally sourced food, writes Gensler's Toshi Kasai.
Building Team | Sep 6, 2016
Letting your resource take center stage: A guide to thoughtful site selection for interpretive centers
Thoughtful site selection is never about one factor, but rather a confluence of several components that ultimately present trade-offs for the owner.