2 Healthcare Organizations, ASHE Receive Honors in 2019 Energy Star Awards

Two healthcare organizations — Atrium Health and Memorial Hermann Health System, along with The American Society for Health Care Engineering — have been named 2019 Energy Star Award Winners, as bestowed by The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

The organizations are among 183 Energy Star partners being honored for outstanding contributions to public health and the environment. The awardees have demonstrated national leadership in cost-saving, energy-efficient solutions.

Atrium Health, a nonprofit healthcare system based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was named a Partner of the Year in the category of energy management. The organization has a commitment to improve public health through better energy management and has reduced energy consumption more than 20% since partnering with Energy Star. Key 2018 accomplishments include:

• Achieving Energy Star certification at 10 facilities, including new certification of two hospitals in 2018
• Expanding the number of facilities tracked in Energy Star Portfolio Manager from 82 to 114, a 28% increase in one year
• Conducting an Energy Star treasure hunt to uncover $75,000 in potential energy savings at a small rural hospital
• Launching an Energy Star “Bring Your Green to Work” campaign, which identified 38 projects worth $850,000 in energy savings

Based in Houston, Texas, Memorial Hermann Health System has been named a Partner of the Year in the category of sustained excellence in energy management. The organization has achievement in earning Energy Star certification for its hospitals and for continued promotion of initiatives at the state and national levels. Key 2018 accomplishments include:

• Saving an average of 0.7% energy across all 38 healthcare properties compared to 2017 and maintaining an average Energy Star rating of 74
• Earning certification for a new hospital designed to earn the Energy Star, with more than 90% of its hospitals Energy Star-certified at least once
• Becoming the first healthcare system in the state to utilize new ventilation rate standards that reduce energy use while still meeting air change rates set by the department of health
• Growing the Texas Energy Roundup to over 100 active competitors and helping hospitals reduce energy use by an average of 1.5% annually

The American Society for Health Care Engineering was named a Partner of the Year in the category of sustained excellence for continued leadership. ASHE’s Energy to Care program helps hospitals track energy use, become more efficient and redirect energy savings toward patient care. Energy to Care challenges, awards, hosted programs and publications raise awareness of the importance of sustainability. Recent key efforts include:

• Hospitals in the Energy to Care program have saved more than $396 million in collective energy savings
• 68 hospitals reduced consumption by 10% in a single year and earned a 2018 Energy to Care Award—an increase of 30% from the year before
• The number of healthcare facilities in ASHE’s Energy to Care Program with Energy Star scores of 75 or more increased from 110 in 2010 to 399 in 2018