HOSPITAL & HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IS NET ZERO HEALTHCARE POSSIBLE?


Healthcare is one of the world’s most energy-intensive industries, currently accounting for almost 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Steve McGregor, Executive Chairman for the DMA Group, looks at the steps being taken in the UK to reduce carbon across the NHS, and how this can be achieved while saving money and improving patient services.


In 2023 the NHS introduced a new Net Zero Building Standard, applicable to all new build projects and upgrades to existing sites, aiming to ‘deliver a net zero health service by 2045’. The government has also demonstrated a similar commitment by revising the New Hospital Programme. Originally investing in 40 new hospital developments, the initiative now additionally prioritises improvements to at least 30 older sites.


The stage is now set for a new and improved healthcare service, one that delivers on patient needs, while reducing its impact on the environment. To realise these ambitions, however, it’s crucial that the process is mapped properly, prioritising lower cost ‘quick wins’ that will cut carbon and crucially, save money straight away. Initial savings can then be used to fund more expensive upgrades, such as switching to renewables.


“No matter how advanced a system is, it simply cannot deliver on its promises if it is being fed faulty information.”


This is the approach that Rye, Winchelsea & District Memorial Hospital took, now the UK’s first carbon neutral community Hospital. We have been working with Rye since 2021, helping the estate reduce energy use by 40% and cut CO2 emissions by 260 tonnes per year, with savings made funding more major works as well as improved facilities.


By adopting similar strategies, hospitals across the country can move to net zero in a way that’s sustainable and affordable. Here’s how:


An energy audit that leads to quick wins Conducting an initial energy audit allows you to identify energy wasters and where this wastage can be reduced. Energy Conservation Methods (ECMs) can then be weighed up in terms of their cost, payback time, risk and potential impact. Quick wins might include:


• Upgrading lighting to modern LEDs, with sensors that prevent them from being left on when occupants have left a room.


• Swapping fan motors to high-efficiency models in order to optimise ventilation systems and reduce energy consumption.


• Introducing advanced electrical metering to accurately measure energy usage and enable data-driven decision making.


• Maintaining heating assets – including cleaning and the replacement of radiator valves.


With the cumulative savings made from these small actions, larger-scale investments can become more viable.


Optimising your building management system (BMS) Properly configuring and where necessary, modernising Building Management Systems (BMS) should be part of the first wave of improvements. For example, setting climate control and ventilation schedules based on real-time occupancy can make a huge difference.


AI’s increasingly central role in FM must be factored into decision making. If AI is being introduced, it’s essential that any existing systems are compatible. Outdated legacy technology must be replaced in this instance, or the benefits of AI will not be realised.


Equally crucial is the quality of underlying data. No matter how advanced a system is, it simply cannot deliver on its promises if it is being fed faulty information. Too often, BMS or computer-aided facility management (CAFM) software fall short simply because they are working with incomplete, outdated or inaccurate datasets.


Generating and storing energy on site Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems combined with battery storage can offer huge savings and estate resilience, reducing grid dependency and allowing critical medical services to continue during power outages. With the price of electricity high, payback is relatively short and excess energy can be sold back to the grid.


At Rye, the solar PV generated an extra 4,800 kWh in 2022, further supporting the hospital’s broader sustainability objectives.


Energy savings with a human impact While the NHS’s Net Zero Building Standard has set a high bar for carbon reduction, hospitals can start working towards the 2045 target by implementing phased energy- saving strategies today.


In the process, trusts can also deliver meaningful benefits for patients, their families and hospital staff. At Rye, reduced energy bills have facilitated a five-year development plan that will introduce new minor injuries and diagnostic units, along with additional Electric Vehicle charging points. Net zero targets in this context are more than just better for the environment; they offer part of the solution to improving hospital services.


www.dma-group.co.uk 14 | TOMORROW’S FM twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


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