Reaching the next level of decarbonization

Being green is something Penn Medicine takes seriously. The hospital system has switched to light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, added variable-speed drives (VSDs) to HVAC equipment when possible, and replaced older chillers and recommissioned entire buildings to increase efficiency, among other things. The system even has entered into a power purchase agreement with a 220-megawatt solar power plant in central Pennsylvania.

All of those efforts are important in the systems sustainability journey, but Kathleen Fink, energy manager at Penn Medicine, knows that discrete projects that cut emissions and save energy are just the most visible aspects of being green. Today, to be truly focused on sustainability, a health care facility must have a master plan in place, get all hospital departments involved, deal with municipal regulations, and manage downstream and upstream emissions. 

Related Resources

On-Demand Educational Webinars
Experience a State-of-the-Art Intelligent Patient Room | Presented by Schneider Electric
We hope you can attend this session to learn more about the new and emerging health care technologies designed to meet patient and business needs.
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Use actual data to estimate the benefits that would come from participating in the Energy to Care Program.
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Energy Management? Where Do I Start?
One tool for benchmarking health care facilities is Energy Stars Portfolio Manager.
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Kitchen Ventilation
Kitchen ventilation, for both exhaust and makeup air, represents a significant opportunity for kWh and kBTU reductions in health care facilities.
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Sustainability Engagement Benefits & Strategies
When engaging employees in sustainability, its best to use a combination of methods.