Energy/Water Conservation

Energy/Water Conservation

Overview:

Energy Conservation PhotoAll New York State buildings, including hospitals, are working to meet the state’s mandate of a 20 percent improvement in their energy efficiency by 2020. However, hospitals face particular energy-related challenges that will require an ongoing commitment to meet the state’s energy efficiency mandate. Hospitals are the most water-intensive facilities in the country, representing seven percent of all commercial and institutional use. And according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, inpatient healthcare ranks as the second largest commercial energy user, after the food service industry. Hospitals must address those issues – and continue to conserve water and energy, reduce energy consumption, and minimize costs – without compromising the care they deliver to their communities. 

Goals 2023:

 

  1. Completion of NYPA projects.
  2. Implementation of projects from the new energy master plan audit.
  3. Development of a water use reduction plan.

Highlights:

A new Energy Master audit was conducted in 2021 and the new plan was developed based on the audit to be implemented upon review in 2022.

We reduced the Energy Use Intensity by 20% in 2020 as compared to our 2010 baseline. We completed the replacement of nine air handling units with more efficient ones. Upgraded controls on heating, ventilation and air conditioning units, so that the units operate more efficiently, conserve energy and reduce maintenance costs. Sub-metered steam and natural gas.  Sub-metering measures energy use (electricity, gas, temperature and chilled water) specific to each building. This will assist in the development of energy management plans specific to building needs.

We completed temperature setbacks in operating rooms, including new hybrid operating rooms (we lower the temperature at night, to save energy and reduce costs.), and the Ambulatory Surgery Center.

In 2021, Stony Brook partnered with the New York State power Authority to create a Renewable Energy Master Plan. The Renewable Energy Master Plan provides a detailed summary of recommended paths to achieving the renewable energy goals of New York State. In 2022, Stony Brook plans to implement these recommendations. One barrier to implementing onsite renewables is the Cogeneration Plant that provides both power and steam to the campus and Hospital. The contract with the Cogeneeration Plant and Stony Brook are re-negotiating this contract and should have a solution in 2022.

Our data center managers have recognized the huge energy costs associated with cooling traditional data centers and have been working on reducing the energy costs for several year.  At this point, they have reported successes in that they have created hot aisle containment, moving the heated air via the plenum to allow the existing air cooling units to more efficiently cool the servers.  This is permitting them to reduce use of the cooling units by running fewer of them and keeping two of the available Air Conditioner units available for standby. We anticipate being able to quantify savings in 2022, when we are also looking to move the set point for temperature from 68 to 77F.  This temperature change is supported by leaders in the field.

We upgraded all hospital interior and exterior (streetlights, hospital garage and open parking lots) lighting to LED lights. We realized a 67 percent energy savings when we converted from regular to LED lighting. LED lights last longer and are brighter than electric lights.

Recognition:

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) awarded SUNY Stony Brook (including Stony Brook University Hospitals) the Outstanding Commitment to Energy Efficiency award! The award recognizes NYPA customers for their leadership and innovation in advancing clean energy projects throughout New York State.

“SUNY Stony Brook was selected as a recipient of this award for its continued focus on energy efficiency across an extensive campus. Stony Brook completed three energy master plans with NYPA and identified an estimated $16.9M in annual costs savings. The campus has continued to grow while also achieving a 20% reduction in campus-wide energy use intensity (EUI) and meeting Executive Order 88. Stony Brook shows no sign of slowing down and is currently updating its energy master plans to identify new opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce emissions and upgrade critical infrastructure.”

Stony Brook Medicine won a 2016 Vizient Sustainability Excellence Award for our Deck Rehabilitation Project on the Health Sciences Tower rooftop. The buildings were experiencing temperature control issues. We installed more efficient insulation, and replaced the rusted beams that were supporting the infrastructure. New high-efficiency insulation was installed and all lighting was replaced with LEDs. Support steel was replaced. New doors were installed to inhibit outside temperatures from entering. The facility roofs are now water-tight, and the area above the ceiling has significantly higher temperatures on cold days and lower temperatures on hot days. Vizient Sustainability Excellence Awards are given by Vizient, the largest member-owned healthcare company in the country, to hospitals that demonstrate commitment to sustainability by implementing a new program that has measurable success.

Team:

Melissa Murphy, Michael Cullen,  Nikki Hamblin, John Pluchino, James Prudenti

Policies: 

Operating Room Energy Conservation Policy and Procedure

 

Last Updated
06/12/2023