Energy to Care is an energy benchmarking program for hospitals that gives participants access to detailed energy data in exchange for their own energy data. A hospital’s electric bills, gas bills and total square footage are entered into a database according to your location. Benchmarking your facility will show your facility’s energy use; monitor how your facility is performing against other facilities; track your performance over time; share results with others in your facility; and can lead to significant energy savings.
A lot of facilities are already doing the basics of data entry and gathering through the Energy to Care program. JPT can take this beyond the numbers by tackling the challenging factors that are actually making your energy consumption rise. These challenging factors can be investigated with in-depth analysis into electrical and mechanical systems that are more complicated and less understood. This is where JPT’s 100% focus in Healthcare Industry Design comes in as Healthcare-based projects are the only kind that JPT takes on. Hospitals are unique commercial building types and are the only building type that has strict requirements concerning Humidity, Temperature and Infiltration. We are going to take a look at JPT’s Healthcare Facility strategies to further investigate energy benchmarking.
First, Retro-Commissioning consists of analyzing and optimizing an existing facility’s systems’ performance through operational and maintenance improvement measures. Identify the need and ability of the existing system to take care of that need. High energy systems to focus on include Building Cooling within your Chillers; Building Heating with steam and hot water; “Always-On” systems such as Air Handling Units, HVAC and Pumps; and systems with long runs such as Central Plant Distribution.
Next, diving into your facility’s lighting system consists of a lighting analysis, optimization schemes and evaluating low wattage solutions and controls.
Following, is investigating your chillers which includes assessing the temperature of chiller water, replacing outdated chillers, low wattage solutions, optimization such as free cooling and mechanical cooling and completing a primary/secondary loop analysis. Matching up your production and demand can be completed by comparing capacity vs efficiency vs energy costs.
Additionally, is the implementation of electric power metering which encompasses the identification of system elements which contribute to “dirty power”. Meters will tell us where you are paying for power that you are not consuming. An analysis is needed of the Motor Control Center and variable frequency drives along with “hot” panels. The age of transformers needs taken into consideration and evaluated as well.
Next, Infrared Scanning Technology can be implemented by the several certified thermographers on JPT’s team. This consists of finding leaks in your building envelope and pipe insultation. The building envelope would include the windows, walls, doors, masonry and roof. Our thermographers can determine if there are any failing steam traps and the insulation of mechanical systems is correct.
Next up, is to analyze the duct and pipe system to check if any obstructions are creating static pressure loses. JPT can measure static pressure to eliminate the obstructions. An example of an obstruction in your system is a damper stuck down the duct system that creates resistance causing the fan to use extra energy.
Following, automatic temperature control system review is to observe the operation of heating and cooling systems and to determine the space’s compliance with FGI metrics including temperature, humidity, air exchanges and room pressure. Troubleshoot the space if it is out of compliance. Additional parameters of heating and cooling systems should be monitored through a battery management system (BMS).
Then, we move to the service of Mechanical & Electrical Systems Trend Log Review which entails benchmarking energy use with control points. As the control points are altered, the resulting energy use can be quantified. Trend data brings attention to operational challenges that are less likely to be found during field functional testing. It’s best to monitor and analyze energy use during the peak of summer, the peak of winter, and during fall and spring.
Next, JPT’s offers Building Automation System, Building Management System, and Project Management programs to best monitor operational performance and parameter trending within electrical and mechanical spaces.
In conclusion, COVID-19 has caused an issue where Healthcare facilities are running their AC or their air handler at 100% outside air. JPT’s Engineering team reviews existing air system components such as determining the maximum capacity of coils; breakpoint outdoor air conditions where coils will no longer hold FGI conditions; chilled water supply temperature reduction analysis; increasing filtration minimum efficiency reporting value and air side disinfection systems. Procedures need to be evaluated and adapted to current COVID-19 variables such as preparing for the next major outbreak and/or COVID-19 variant.
Please check out and download the document below. This document is a “grab-and-go” summary sheet of the strategies learned through this marketing campaign, Energy to Care – Beyond the Numbers.