Case Study
Alberta Health Services - Two Sites
In pursuit of healthcare sustainability and the goal of delivering a net zero health service, Alberta Health Services piloted the performance of EndoTherm in two locations: Vulcan Community Health Centre and Seventh Street Plaza (SSP) in Edmonton. This initiative aligns with the focus on sustainability in the healthcare and medical sector.
Vulcan, a 48,859 sq ft hospital building including an emergency department, and Seventh Street Plaza, a 530,248 sq ft office building in Edmonton with 2 towers heated by small diameter pipes and perimeter heating with fins, were chosen to demonstrate EndoTherm’s potential in diverse healthcare settings. The installation of EndoTherm in November 2023 marked a step towards greener healthcare practices in both these facilities.
Hospitals with 24/7 emergency departments, like Vulcan, face unique challenges in maintaining strict temperature and air quality standards while striving for hospital sustainability. These facilities must ensure patient comfort, prevent infection spread, and support medical procedures without compromising on energy efficiency. The constant readiness required by emergency rooms means heating systems cannot risk disruptions, making the balance between sustainability and operational efficiency particularly delicate.
The unpredictable patient influx in emergency departments leads to rapid and significant fluctuations in heating loads. This variability complicates the implementation of typical energy-saving strategies such as scheduled temperature setbacks or zone-based heating adjustments, presenting a hurdle in the journey towards a net zero health service.
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Moreover, the diverse spaces within hospitals have varying heating requirements, adding another layer of complexity to healthcare sustainability efforts. Operating rooms require cooler temperatures, while patient rooms need to be warmer for comfort. Emergency rooms, with their frequently opening doors, create drafts and heat loss, further challenging energy conservation efforts.
The imperative for increased ventilation rates in healthcare settings to maintain air quality and control airborne pathogens often results in higher energy consumption for heating incoming fresh air. Balancing these competing demands while reducing overall energy consumption is a significant challenge for hospital facility managers and energy efficiency professionals committed to delivering a net zero health service.
By implementing innovative solutions like EndoTherm, Alberta Health Services is taking effective steps towards greener healthcare, demonstrating that sustainability and health can go hand in hand in modern medical facilities.
In a short pilot period Alberta Health achieved a 1,146GJ reduction in Natural Gas across the two sites. This is a reduction of 59,000kg of scope 1 CO2e emissions which is equivalent to:
