Stringent Energy Targets Could Cost You
January 31, 2020
Proposed fees and penalties related to energy efficiency in hospitals are currently being adopted by state and local jurisdictions. The state of Washington recently passed legislation which places a penalty of up to $5,000 plus $1 per gross square foot of floor area per year for buildings that do not comply with energy targets. Non-compliant buildings are required to complete an Energy Audit identifying Energy Efficiency Measures and to implement Energy Efficiency Measures to bring the building into compliance. However, the energy targets that the legislation is developed from may not be realistic or attainable.
To help calculate correct targets, we need every hospital in the U.S. to benchmark their energy data in the Energy to Care program. Up-to-date energy data will provide ASHE with statistically significant data that can be used to advocate for correct energy targets and prevent undue financial burdens on hospitals.
ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 100-2018 provides energy management criteria geared toward a reduction of energy consumption in existing buildings and is being utilized as an initial model for legislation development. The median Hospital/Inpatient EUI target in the standard is 139 kBtu/ft^2ye. The ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager Technical Reference provides a median EUI for General Medical and Surgical Hospitals of 234.3 kBtu/ft^2yr. ASHE’s Energy to Care Program data reflects a median EUI of 163 kBtu/ft^2yr for hospitals with ENERGY STAR® scores between 90 and 100, suggesting that the target EUIs identified in the standard are not attainable for the vast majority of hospitals.
ASHE is launching a workshop in which subject matter experts will provide hands-on training to upload energy data into the Energy to Care dashboard and to utilize the program resources for obtaining energy management goals. Contact energytocare@aha.org to request more information.