Grumman/Butkus Associates, a firm of energy efficiency consultants and sustainable design engineers, has released the results of its 2015 Hospital Energy and Water Benchmarking Survey, focusing on healthcare facilities’ resource usage trends and costs for calendar year 2014.
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/sf for facilities in the survey (electricity plus gas/steam) was 232,981 in CY2014, compared with 248,456 in the 2014 survey (CY2013). Harsher winter temperatures in 2012-13 compared with 2013-14 likely had something to do with the usage decline.
Square-foot prices for gas/steam were up year-to-year ($1.01 in 2013, vs. $1.16 in 2013), but square-foot prices for electricity fell ($2.26 in 2013 vs. $2.12 in 2014). The overall result of these usage and pricing patterns was that hospitals’ total sf costs for energy (gas/steam plus electric) hardly changed: $3.29 in CY2014, vs. $3.27 in CY2013.
Carbon footprint results have stayed fairly steady over time, at about 60 pounds of CO2 equivalent per ft2 per year, but have been slowly trending downward since 2010.
Reporting facilities displayed a 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 150,000 BTU/sf/year) and those that used least (100,000 BTU/sf/year). Similarly, a few hospitals consume more than 40 kWh/sf/year in electricity, compared with a mid-range of about 25 kWh/sf/year. A few squeaked by with less than 20 kWh/ft2.
“Hospitals are investing in efficiency measures and making progress, but have much further to go,” says G/BA Chairman Daniel L. Doyle. “Some of the low-hanging fruit is gone, but there are still many cost-effective opportunities remaining for reducing energy usage and costs.”
Hospital water use is also gradually declining, currently averaging about 49 gallons per square foot per year (compared with nearly 70 gallons/sf/year a decade ago). Costs per gallon are rising, however, now averaging $0.38/sf. As recently as 2007, hospitals were paying just $0.27/sf.
“The downward usage trend reflects a movement to eliminate city-water-cooled equipment, as well as the increased use of low-flow and occupancy-based plumbing fixtures,” says Doyle. “Water usage is an emerging issue. There is still much room for improvement.”
The G/BA 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 was provided by 117 hospitals located in Illinois (56), Wisconsin (33), Michigan (5), Indiana (5), and seven other states.
Full results and analysis, as well as information about participating in the 2015 survey, are available at the firm’s website. For additional information, contact Doyle (ddoyle@grummanbutkus.com) or Julie Higginbotham (jhigginbotham@grummanbutkus.com).
Related Stories
| Dec 17, 2013
IBM's five tech-driven innovation predictions for the next five years [infographics]
Smart classrooms, DNA-based medical care, and wired cities are among the technology-related innovations identified by IBM researchers for the company's 5 in 5 report.
| Dec 17, 2013
CBRE's Chris Bodnar and Lee Asher named Healthcare Real Estate Executives of the Year
CBRE Group, Inc. announced today that two of its senior executives, Chris Bodnar and Lee Asher, have been named Healthcare Real Estate Executives of the Year by Healthcare Real Estate Insights.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Dec 10, 2013
Modular Pedia-Pod: Sustainability in healthcare construction [slideshow]
Greenbuild 2013 in Philadelphia was the site of a unique display—Pedia-Pod, a modular pediatric treatment room designed and built by NRB, in collaboration with the editors of Building Design+Construction, SGC Horizon LLC, and their team of medical design consultants.
| Dec 3, 2013
Creating a healthcare capital project plan: The truth behind the numbers
When setting up a capital project plan, it's one thing to have the data, but quite another to have the knowledge of the process.
| Nov 27, 2013
Pediatric hospitals improve care with flexible, age-sensitive design
Pediatric hospitals face many of the same concerns as their adult counterparts. Inpatient bed demand is declining, outpatient visits are soaring, and there is a higher level of focus on prevention and reduced readmissions.
| Nov 27, 2013
Exclusive survey: Revenues increased at nearly half of AEC firms in 2013
Forty-six percent of the respondents to an exclusive BD+C survey of AEC professionals reported that revenues had increased this year compared to 2012, with another 24.2% saying cash flow had stayed the same.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 27, 2013
LEED for Healthcare offers new paths to green
LEED for Healthcare debuted in spring 2011, and certifications are now beginning to roll in. They include the new Puyallup (Wash.) Medical Center and the W.H. and Elaine McCarty South Tower at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas in Austin.
