Carbon and energy reduction
Experience shows a strong case for CHP
With considerable pressure on NHS Trusts to make energy and cost savings, and simultaneously to reduce their emissions and carbon footprint, energy services company and Energy Performance Contract (EPC) specialist, Cynergin, takes a look at how Trusts across the country are ‘overhauling their energy infrastructures and moving towards greener technologies – with CHP systems at the heart of many projects’.
worth of savings for acute hospital Trusts in England annually; these Trusts currently spend around £55.6 billion per annum. With hospital estates spending some £750 million on energy each year, one of the key recommendations was for all Trusts to have a strategic estates and facilities plan that would reduce their energy costs and contribute to the savings target required to be achieved by 2020/2021. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems were among the technologies highlighted. Cynergin, one of the leading energy savings companies (ESCOs), is working in partnership with Trusts across the country to invest in the latest technologies that not only boost their environmental credentials, but will also drive down their energy costs and deliver tangible savings. With their 24/7, 365 day-a-year functionality, hospitals are, by their nature, high energy consumers. Heavily reliant on electricity, hot water, steam, cooling, and air-conditioning, they are ideal candidates for CHP systems, which can produce the energy required for these functions. Indeed the number of hospital Trusts investing in CHP systems is climbing steadily, and, for many, combined heat and power forms
L
Figure 1: CHP systems’ benefits for NHS Trust users.
Lower energy bills. Combats escalating price rises and volatility in the energy markets.
Reduces fossil fuel consumption. Reduces emissions. Lowers carbon footprint. Affords greater security of supply and the required quantity of hot water. Availability of grant funding.
ord Carter’s ground-breaking report, published in February, highlighted how the NHS could generate £5 billion
Cynergin says many Trusts are ‘overhauling their energy infrastructures and moving towards greener technologies – with CHP systems at the heart of many projects’.
a major part of their overall strategy for reducing energy and their dependence on the National Grid. Lower and more predictable energy bills are clearly attractive for any estates manager looking both to balance the books and meet environmental obligations.
A simple process
The principal benefit of a CHP system is to save money and have a reliable continuous source of heating, hot water, and electrical power for lighting and other services. The process is relatively simple; a CHP system burns fuel – typically natural gas – to generate electricity, and useful heat is generated for heating and hot
water. CHP systems waste less fuel than a combination of grid electricity and local boilers, and produce less CO2
. As the
health sector is a heavy energy user, the potential benefits for the NHS are significant (see Figure 1). Cynergin has collaborated on a number of CHP projects, understands the technology, and has various projects at different stages that can provide a valuable insight and showcase exactly what can be achieved. As Dr Howard Stone, a director at Cynergin explains, there are five key stages that hospitals need to consider and go through before they can sit back and reap the rewards of their investment. These are:
Health Estate Journal 55September 2016
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