CHCC energy cost-cutting measures take effect

In line with the hospital’s goal to cut down on its power consumption, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s facilities department has endorsed to the CHCC board multiple energy cost-cutting measures that will lower utility expenses to a level that is sustainable for the agency.

Facilities department manager Warren Villagomez recently submitted a two-page report identifying all these energy cost-cutting measures.

Villagomez said that new upgrades and retrofitting in the hospital’s lighting system would reduce energy consumption. It was reported that computer-controlled lighting panels and zone control on less-use areas have been enforced, along with upgrading to newer lighting systems including LEDs, induction lighting system, T-8, energy-efficient parking lot lighting, and photo luminescent exit signs.

He said that CHCC also cut night site lighting to create an “economize mode” for oversight when the hospital is at its lowest occupancy.

“We make certain that the lighting up close to the building and all entrance and exit doors will remain on, along with any emergency fixtures lighting pathways,” he reported.

Depending upon circuiting and how the site is wired, he said CHCC may be able to turn off some areas completely, or every other fixtures throughout the main body of the parking lot.

“While the occupants of the building are heading home for the evening, we should make sure that areas being used remain lit until traffic and density decreases in those areas, then shut off those in between spots, rows, and sections,” said Villagomez.

He also reported about scheduling equipment off when not needed, repairing controls that are out of calibration, adding or enabling features to existing controls to improve system efficiency, and repairing insulations, seals, dampers and valves on equipment or systems to eliminate wasted energy.

CHCC, according to Villagomez, also teamed up with Sablan Topline housekeeping, security officers, and maintenance personnel to ensure all these energy cost-cutting measures are enforced.

Villagomez said CHCC is now also turning off vending machine lights to reduce energy consumption while it closely monitors the hospital kitchen operation, including monitoring warming temperatures.

“Because we don’t have submeters in our kitchen, we must look at the manufacturer’s specification on each piece and manually calculate what the impact of two to three hours less time would be,” he explained.

In patients’ rooms, a quick and no-cost way to reduce energy consumption is by assuring drapes are closed to shoulder width in the summer to prevent heat penetration. This could also prevent the loss of heat from the guest room throughout the windows, he said.

All office small refrigerators that are not essential to the operation of the unit are now limited or removed.

Villagomez recommended that all staff lounge in Building 1 and 2 be used for staff breaks and lunch hours.

Rather than having water dispensers in every office or working area, centralized water dispensers for employees were also put in place.

According to Villagomez, the completion of the HVAC project is expected to reduce energy consumption at the hospital because it will replace the cooling system and water heater tank with a more efficient unit.

Villagomez assured that all these measures will reduce CHCC’s utility bills while not jeopardizing patient safety and patient care, including staff and visitors.

At present, CHCC monthly power consumption is at over $500,000—an amount CHCC admits is not sustainable for the agency.