Energy to Care Program Helps Hospitals Cut Energy Consumption

CHICAGO, Ill. — – The American Society for Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association announced at its annual conference the official launch of Energy to Care, a recently expanded efficiency program that includes energy benchmarking tools and awards for healthcare facilities. Cutting energy consumption helps reduce operational costs, freeing hospital resources for patient care.

“Cost reduction is a major focus for healthcare facility professionals,” said ASHE Senior Executive Director Dale Woodin, CHFM, FASHE. “Energy to Care provides our members with the tools they need to reduce their energy costs so they can be redirected to support excellent patient care.”

The expanded Energy to Care program, formerly called the Energy Efficiency Commitment, allows healthcare facilities to benchmark their energy use by integrating with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Portfolio Manager program.

A new Energy to Care dashboard, underwritten by Johnson Controls, allows facility professionals to more easily visualize energy use, identify trends and share information with hospital leaders. Users can compare energy use intensity, electricity, gas and total energy for all buildings or specific types of buildings over any time scale. Users can also compare data to forecasted consumption, outdoor temperature and heating and cooling degree days.

“We believe better patient care is delivered in smart, energy-efficient facilities,” said Renee Jacobs, healthcare director for Johnson Controls. “Our sponsorship in the Energy to Care dashboard reflects our commitment to giving members the valuable resources they need to make a positive impact in their facilities every day.”

The Energy to Care program also features new awards for ASHE members. The previous program celebrated hospitals that reduced energy consumption by 10 percent over baseline. The revamped Energy to Care Awards continue to recognize hospitals and other healthcare facilities that hit that target, but also recognize facilities that have the lowest energy use intensity in their regions or the nation. The Energy to Care program also gives hospitals the ability to set up and participate in regional challenges that add a bit of friendly competition to the program. To learn more or participate, visit www.EnergyToCare.com.