DANVILLE, Pa. — Geisinger Medical Center has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR certification for 2013, which represents the EPA’s national mark of superior energy performance and identifies the facility as one the most efficient in the nation. GMC received a perfect score of 100 from the EPA.
“In just the last two years, we’ve reduced energy expenditures by $2.6 million,” said Al Neuner, vice president for facilities operations, Geisinger Health System. “We are not only proud to be recognized for being energy conscious, but we also take pride in having an impact on lowering healthcare costs, which is something that directly benefits our patients and families in our communities.”
Neuner said the completion of a cogeneration plant in November 2011 has had the most significant impact on GMC’s energy efficiency. Cogeneration, also known as combined heat and power, is the use of a heat engine to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat.
GMC’s plant generates 5 megawatts of power, increasing efficiency from 30 to 80 percent, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 16,000 tons annually. The cogeneration plant boasts annual savings of $2.2 million per year.
