From cleaner air to a reduction of greenhouse gases, energy efficiency offers an abundance of health and environmental benefits. 但是对于bet8网站备用来说, there are other tangible impacts—energy efficiency can be a tool to achieve operational benefits and strengthen market position.
Healthcare buildings—and hospitals specifically—consume an incredible amount of energy. 虽然很多人 全国最大的bet8网站备用 取得了 公开承诺 to combat climate change, Kaiser Permanente is leading the charge by becoming 第一个碳中性的美国.S. bet8网站备用 in late 2020 and operating the country’s first net zero medical office building 在加州的圣罗莎.
Below are three key operational benefits bet8网站备用s should consider as they renew their capital asset plans or adjust their energy consumption in response to updated requirements, including those that carry financial penalties for noncompliance, 比如 华盛顿清洁建筑法案 或者是 纽约市建筑排放法.
更低的运营成本
The equation is simple: more-efficient buildings consume less energy, 这会降低公用事业成本吗. 但是在心电图的经验中, building and occupancy costs—the largest controllable expense in a healthcare organization’s operations[1]—are rarely controlled with the rigor needed to achieve cost savings.Reducing operating costs enables an organization to reinvest in clinical programs or facilities to meet the demands of a changing market. And the savings associated with energy efficiency can be significant:
- 一个基线 系统调试项目 aimed at correcting inefficient operations can easily save an organization 5% to 10% in energy costs annually, with minimal investment to conduct the study and implement changes.
- In the instance of Kaiser’s net zero building in Santa Rosa, its solar panels produce more electricity over the course of a year than the building consumes, effectively eliminating its electricity bill, helping to offset carbon utilization elsewhere in the system, and even contributing to positive cash flows as electricity is sold back to the utility.
- 在另一个例子中, Boston Medical Center is expected to save $153 million in expenses between 2010 and 2030—more than $7.5 million annually—based on its energy savings.
提高员工满意度
By placing climate policy and energy efficiency front and center, organizations can achieve significant improvements in employee engagement and satisfaction. And by highlighting its mission and commitment to the environment, an organization can appeal to a wider pool of candidates when recruiting new providers and staff. 在医疗保健环境中, better-engaged staff translates to improved patient experience and greater market share.
- 一项发表在 美国公共卫生杂志found that employees working in green buildings not only view their work environment more positively but are also more productive and report lower levels of stress.
- 一项独立的研究 U.S. 绿色建筑委员会 (USGBC) found that “a majority of office workers want to work for companies that are value-oriented, take stances on important issues like sustainability, and do their part for making a positive difference in the world.”
A third benefit to healthcare organizations that embrace energy efficiency is improved brand strength, which can lead to higher patient 销量和更好的市场地位. Although a building’s energy use intensity (EUI) or LEED certification might not attract patients to any given facility, a strong climate policy can improve a healthcare organization’s image overall and 影响病人的选择.
As the healthcare environment continues to evolve, increasing price transparency and consumerism will change the way patients 与他们的供应商合作. Consumer choice will be driven by brand strength, recommendations from providers and staff who live in communities, and overall 护理质量. As healthcare organizations look to the future,它将是。 critical to manage a patient’s overall health and well being, in addition to managing episodes of care or doctor’s visits. 执行 this strategy will require more connectivity with patients, and only organizations that can build 信任 with their communities will be able to 维护这些连接. A commitment to community health, led by an intentional policy to combat climate change, will help build and maintain that community 信任.
外卖
通过倡导能源效率, an organization can achieve operational savings, 保持更高的员工满意度, and even improve brand strength within a community. 和Kaiser Permanente相比, the majority of health organizations are standing flat-footed in this arena, leaving ample opportunity for savvy organizations to establish a position of strength in their markets—all while saving money and lowering the cost of care in the process.
For more about how to start on the path to energy efficiency by defining a strategy, taking advantage of utility incentives, or improving cash flows through retro-commissioning, 心电图的联系 设备和资本资产规划 团队.
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基于心电图的分析 Medical Group Cost and Infrastructure Survey.
2021年10月20日出版