Mercy Medical Center save approximately 675,000 kWh of electricity and 56,000 therms of natural gas per year, and cutting Mercy Medical Center’s annual utility bills by about 17% in 2003

LOCATION: Roseburg, OR

SIZE: 177,000 square feet (main hospital); 19,000 square feet (additional buildings)

COMPLETION DATE: Energy-efficiency upgrades between 2000 and August 2004 UTILITIES: Pacific Power, Avista TECHNOLOGIES: Chiller and cooling tower replacements; boiler upgrades; efficient lighting; automatic lighting and ventilation controls; occupancy sensors; adjustments to temperature resets for air handlers; water heater upgrades; computer “sleep” controls. Teamwork, cost-conscious, long-term planning and implementation, and smart use of staff make the Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg a model for hospitals participating in the BetterBricks’ new High Performance Hospital Partnership.

Mercy Medical Center is a Trauma III hospital serving Douglas County. The facility includes a 153-bed, 177,000-square-foot hospital built in 1977 with subsequent additions, and two additional buildings with a total of 19,000 square feet. A 38-bed, 90,000-square-foot hospital expansion/remodel will be completed in 2006.

Energy efficiency is a high priority for Jim Stelson, Director of Facilities Management. Stelson has applied his 20-year experience with several hospitals in a phased plan to reduce energy use throughout the Center. “Energy efficiency is a factor in almost every choice we make, from lighting to computers, patient televisions and major heating and cooling systems,” Stelson says. “In part, that’s because our sponsoring organization, Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), has adopted an energy initiative for its facilities, and CHI with it’s 55 facilities has joined the national Energy Star program. Energy efficiency simply makes sense.”

He also enlisted the support of Pacific Power and the Energy Trust of Oregon, who have provided technical assistance and incentives. Beginning in 2001, Pacific Power hired Hatten/Johnson Associates (now Solarc Architecture and Engineering) of Eugene to perform a preliminary assessment of energy savings potential, followed by a more detailed energy analysis. The first report, presented in 2001, identified improvements that would have saved more than one million kWh, 9,000 therms and $54,467 per year. The total package would have cost more than $617,000. Subsequent energy-engineering focused on refining the analysis for selected measures. Studies were completed under Pacific Power funding and then transitioned in 2003 to the Energy Trust for implementation and incentive payment.

Stelson selected the most appropriate of the proposed measures for implementation. His decisions are paying off - saving approximately 675,000 kWh of electricity and 56,000 therms of natural gas per year, and cutting Mercy Medical Center’s annual utility bills by about 17% in 2003.

source : Betterbricks