Reducing energy consumption through energy-efficiency retrofits represents an underappreciated way to cut healthcare costs, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. U.S. healthcare facilities spend $8.8 billion per year on energy, a figure that could be cut dramatically.
A case in point: Greenwich (Conn.) Hospital implemented a deep energy retrofit and saved more than 1.7 million kWh and $303,000 of electricity per year, nearly doubled its ENERGY STAR rating to 88, and reduced its overall energy consumption by 35% with a less-than-six-month payback on the effort.
The recent release of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Energy Retrofit Guide for Healthcare Facilities offers a roadmap for hospital energy retrofits.
(http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2013_12_04_how_retrofits_can_reduce_the_cost_of_healthcare)
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