March 23, 2009

Energy savings are good news at Renfrew Victoria Hospital

Renfrew Victoria Hospital’s million-dollar investment to improve energy efficiency has made a return of nearly $70,000 in savings in its first year.

“We’re pretty pleased,” comments RVH CEO Randy Penney. “We knew this investment made sense on both a financial and an environmental level. It is especially rewarding to see real results in these tough economic times.”

A review of the hospital’s utility bills from October 2007 to September 2008 shows a $28,000 reduction in natural gas costs and a $34,000 cut in water costs. The electricity bills also went down.

The analysis compared the 2007–2008 billing period with invoices from October 2004 to September 2005 to reflect the hospital’s consumption of gas, electricity and water before the retrofits began in August 2006. Adjustments were made to reflect weather variations and changes in utility rates between the two periods studied.

RVH’s green investment included installing a solar wall that provides pre-heated fresh air to the operating room. More efficient plumbing and lighting fixtures were installed throughout the building, and new occupancy sensors and mechanical controls automatically adjust light levels, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning levels.

“This was an investment that made sense in a number of ways,” comments Bill Welsh, chair of the RVH finance committee. “The hospital is realizing substantial ongoing savings in our energy bills, our staff and patients are enjoying the comfort of better lighting and air quality, and we were able to provide leadership in environmental stewardship.”

RVH was recognized on a provincial level for its environmental leadership in taking on the $1-million energy retrofit. The local hospital received the Green Health Care Energy Efficiency Award at the Ontario Hospital Association’s annual conference in November 2007.

The work was done in partnership with Honeywell, a company that specializes in energy efficiency solutions. The company continues to be a partner in RVH’s ongoing energy-saving project, monitoring the results and providing advice on how to enhance the savings.

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(For more information contact Randy Penney, CEO, Renfrew Victoria Hospital, 613-432-4851, ext. 260.)