Economic and Environmental Impact of Energy Saving in Healthcare Buildings

Justo García-Sanz-Calcedo,Awf Al-Kassir,Talal Yusaf

doi:10.3390/app8030440

Justo García-Sanz-Calcedo, Awf Al-Kassir + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app8030440

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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to estimate the economic and environmental impacts of energy consumption derived from healthcare buildings and proposes several energy-saving options in the sector. An experimental energy consumption study was development between 2005 and 2013 in 12 hospitals and 70 healthcare centres in Spain, built between 1980 and 2005 through audits carried out between 2005 and 2012, performed by the Extremadura Energy Agency. The study focused on electric energy, HVAC, DWH, lighting systems, renewable energies, maintenance strategy, thermal insulation, and optimal building size. Specifically, the following parameters were evaluated: energy savings, investment emission of CO2, NO2, and SO2 gases, and payback. The results revealed that through an appropriate energy management of healthcare buildings it is possible to save up to 8.60 kWh/m2 per year, for buildings of less than 5000 m2 (with no beds), which represents an expense of 1.55 €/m2. In healthcare buildings larger than 5000 m2 (with beds), it was possible to save up to 6.88 kWh/m2 per year, which represents an expense of 1.25 €/m2.

Highlights

As an important sector in developed countries, healthcare buildings play a major role in their economy because of the large quantities of energy they use
The purpose of this article is to estimate the economic and environmental impacts of energy consumption derived from healthcare buildings and proposes several energy-saving options in the sector
Economic and environmental impacts of energy saving in healthcare buildings were quantified in this study

Summary

Introduction

As an important sector in developed countries, healthcare buildings play a major role in their economy because of the large quantities of energy they use. The public healthcare sector expense in Spain reached €70,635.7 million, which represented 6.5% of its Gross Domestics Product (GDP) in 2017, in which 4.71% belonged to the public sector (with about 108,000 beds) and 1.80%. The public expenditure on health reached €1521 per inhabitant in Spain. While Spain is dependent on primary energy at about 80%, it only represents 50% on average in the EU [2]. For this reason, it has become urgent and necessary to establish efficiency measures in order to save energy in all the sectors of consumption, and in hospitals [3]

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