Energy Efficiency, Regulation  -  December 16, 2016

NYC hospitals report 10% energy use reduction, look toward Brooklyn cogeneration project

New York City's public healthcare system reported a 10% reduction in its energy use in 2016 resulting from a series of energy efficiency projects across the network's 11 locations. 

The NYC Health + Hospitals network announced Dec. 2 that combined with price reductions in the cost of fuel, it achieved $21 million in savings over the course of the year. The energy use reductions also contributed to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of about 24% between 2007 and 2016, which puts the system on track to meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 50% by 2025.

The healthcare system said it received more than $34 million in grants for energy-saving projects in fiscal year 2016, the majority of which were awarded through an accelerated conservation and efficiency program run by the city's Department of Citywide Administrative Services, or DCAS. Most of NYC Health + Hospitals' energy efficiency projects are managed and constructed through an agreement with the New York Power Authority.

The system also announced that its board of directors recently approved the installation of a cogeneration system at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. The 1.6-MW micro-turbine cogeneration system is expected to help the hospital reduce energy costs by more than $10 million over the next decade.

The cogeneration project is being funded by a grant from DCAS's New York City Clean Energy Program. Additionally, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Con Edison have each awarded $1.5 million grants as a financial incentive for implementing energy-efficient technology.

"NYC Health + Hospitals is pursuing greater efficiencies, especially cost-saving ones, wherever we can find them," Executive Vice President and COO Antonio D. Martin said in a statement. "Our energy story is an ongoing one, with the potential to save money, improve the dependability of our energy, increase energy security for the rest of our communities, and reduce greenhouse gases. In addition, we are benefiting from grant funding to implement plans to make us even more efficient. This success is one of the early signs of progress in our efforts to increase efficiencies as part of the transformation of our health care system."

NYC Health + Hospitals is the country's largest public healthcare systems and is comprises of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes, and post-acute care centers. 

Share this valuable information with your colleagues using the buttons below: