An energy study at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center is expected to have a national impact on the future of hospital design, according to researchers. Study partners were the University of Washington’s Integrated Design Lab and Eugene-based SOLARC Architecture & Engineering Inc.
The study confirmed that in many hospitals, heating systems use the most energy. The study also has some surprising results, namely that imaging equipment and hot water account for much less energy use than previously thought.
The UW project team worked with Legacy Health officials to monitor energy use at the hospital during a one-month period in the winter of 2011. The detailed information on how hospitals use energy will help reduce energy use in healthcare.
“This kind of detailed data is simply not available to experts in hospital design, construction and operations nationally; it is much needed and anticipated by those seeking to develop high-performance hospitals,” said Heather Burpee, research assistant professor with the UW Integrated Design Lab.
Researchers said Legacy Salmon Creek was chosen because it performs more efficiently than the typical U.S. hospital in terms of its use of electricity and natural gas.
The study was made possible with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s BetterBricks Initiative.
