HOSPITAL ENERGY SYSTEMS
A significant challenge in the all-electrification process
Hospitals aren’t just another building; rather they are ‘a processing facility in which lives are being saved daily’ – this requires reliability and energy. So say James Moyes, Simon Witts,
M.AIRAH, and Broden Kay of Australian STEM consultancy, VA Sciences, who argue that, as a result, ‘we should stop bundling them in with other building types when it comes to talking about green buildings’.
Take one look through LinkedIn and you will more than likely see several articles or posts talking about the environment. It might be some wondrous new ‘Green building’, a state-of-the-art new technology, or a call for action. It appears government is finally waking up and doing something, which is great. Hospitals present a significant challenge in the all-electrification process. Most of the articles and thought pieces we see on all-electric hospitals are northern hemisphere-centric, with a heating-led climate, and focus totally on the system and running costs compared with a ‘traditional’ fossil-fuelled design. If there is a mandated requirement, then cost becomes irrelevant. Very few articles even acknowledge the fact that the systems they are discussing are an integral part of a clinical delivery system. The focus here needs to be on healthcare first and foremost; these are not commercial offices for big corporates.
A suite of literature There is a whole suite of literature out there that highlights all the benefits of electrification of buildings. Electric buildings use less gas; therefore problem solved. Easy, next – except for the fact that we’re not in Greenland. The Australian grid on average produces more than three times the amount of CO2
per kWh/capita than the rest of the
world. Once the grid catches up, then electrification is good. Now, and especially
‘‘
From an energy perspective, a kWh of gas is about four times cleaner than a kWh of electricity
in terms of CO2 equivalent in Victoria
February 2023 Health Estate Journal 21
Figures 1 (above) and 2 (below): The typical energy split / consumption in a modern acute hospital.
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