Install Occupancy Sensors
Many operating rooms have air-handling units that draw 100 percent of their supply from outside air, which needs to be heated or cooled depending on the season. Install occupancy sensors or manual switches that reduce the operating speed of the supply and exhaust fans when the rooms are unoccupied.
Change Air Filters Monthly
Filters should be changed monthly. If your facility is located next to a source of dirty air, such as a highway or construction site, filters should be changed more frequently.
Install Room Programmable Thermostats
Not all rooms in a hospital are occupied 24 hours a day. Rooms should have programmable thermostats that turn temperatures up in the cooling season and down in the heating season during hours of no occupancy.
Maintain Rooftop A/C Units
On a quarterly basis, do a maintenance check on your rooftop air-conditioning unit. Make sure the panels are fully attached with all screws in place, and also check to see that gaskets are intact so no air leaks out of the cabinet. If chilled air leaks out, it can cost $100 per year in wasted energy per rooftop unit. In addition, check condenser coils quarterly for debris, natural or otherwise, that can collect there. Thoroughly wash the coils at the beginning and end of the cooling season.
Hospitals Total Energy Use
Lighting, heating and hot water represent about 72 percent of a typical hospital’s total energy use, making those systems the best targets for energy savings.
Source: Business Energy Advisor