Ascension Health – Sara Brown – 2012

Goals

Ascension Health enlisted Sara Brown to help reduce its energy use 20 percent by 2020, a goal it committed to in 2011 as a founding member of the Better Buildings Challenge.

Solutions

Brown determined that the operating rooms in Ascension’s 81 acute care hospitals offered the most promising opportunities to reach this goal. Due to their strict air exchange and pressure requirements, operating rooms are one of hospitals’ biggest energy draws. Furthermore, Brown determined that Ascension’s rooms are used only 40 to 80 hours a week. Retrofitting operating rooms with occupancy sensors could make a large impact on the hospitals’ energy consumption. 

Potential Impact

Over their lifetimes, Brown’s projects could save Ascension $18.9 million in net operational costs. Annually, they could save 40 million kilowatt hours of electricity, 19,000 therms of natural gas and 38,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.