Healthcare Facilities Sustainability Case Study
Description
Alex DeMars ’22
Major: Health Policy and Management
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Deborah Levine, Health Policy and Management
Have you ever considered how sustainable your healthcare facility is? One of the most overlooked aspects of a successful hospital system is minimizing the amount of energy, water, and electricity that your buildings consume. In my case study, I compare two different medical office buildings located in Scarborough, Maine where I have been working during the last two years. This project centers on two buildings that I have been doing in-depth research and documentation on this semester. One building was erected in 2000, and the other in 2020. The newer building was designed with efficient LED lighting along with motion sensors, more technical equipment, and a fully automated controls system which helps equipment run on energy-efficient schedules. The older building recently fell under my leadership, and I explain in my study how we have slowly made energy-efficient decisions for the facility, with the goal of implementing technology from the neighboring building. The age of a facility is key to understanding sustainability initiatives; buildings which heat spaces with steam will require different measures than closed-loop heating boiler systems. Similarly, older equipment may not be supported with items such as variable-frequency-drives, that help machinery run for maximum efficiency. I hope that my case study can inspire other individuals working in the healthcare facilities management field to create their own sustainability initiatives, and prompt them to begin analyzing their daily consumption of energy.
