LOGAN – On Earth Day, April 21, the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) announced HVCH as one of the nine recipients of the 2017 Melvin Creeley Environmental Leadership Award Recipients.
The Melvin Creeley Award recognizes hospitals and health systems that promote sound environmental practices through the implementation of waste reduction programs, recycling initiatives and other activities to preserve the health of the planet for future generations.
HVCH is nearing completion of a $2.1 million dollar energy conversation project that qualified them for this award. “The hospital received $2.1 million in Qualified Energy Conservation Bond financing for the installation of the new energy efficiency and conversation system from the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority,” said HVCH CEO & President Julie Stuck.
“These measures include interior and exterior lighting retrofits allowing all internal and external lights to be converted to LED as well as installing motion light sensors throughout the hospital; mechanical systems upgrades as the boilers are original from 50 years ago, and the chillers are now 37 years old. In the past if our boilers went down it would take hours to bring them back up. The new quick fire boilers can be operational in less than 15 minutes. This will allow us to avoid having to keep both boilers hot at all times in case of failure. With nine total additions to the building since 1966, we have maxed out our capacity with the present chillers system. We wanted to maximize efficiencies and account for any future expansion to the building so that we had additional room for growth,” said Stuck.
Additional upgrades will include building automation which includes control upgrades and retro commissioning water conservation measures to include domestic fixture replacement and retrofits. The operating rooms must have 15 partial and three full air turnovers for every hour the room is in use. It does not, however, need to recycle the air while the room is not being utilized. Prior to the upgrade, the setbacks recycled the air 24/7/365 because there was no other way to control it. With the installation of new setbacks, the rooms’ air exchange will go idle when not in use and then restart with the touch of a button, becoming fully operational in less than five minutes.
The financial savings to the energy conservation project is as follows: Changing to new boilers will provide a savings of $31,000 per year in natural gas, the new chiller installation will save $25,000 per year in electricity, the new control upgrade will save $10,000 per year and the operating room setback installation will save $12,000 per year in electricity. Overall the hospital will realize an estimated $157,000 per year in energy savings and $2 million over 15 years.
Stuck shares “this energy conversation project greatly benefits the community by reducing annual energy use by 28%, reducing water consumption by 37% and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 23%.” In comparison, the reduction in emissions as a result of this project is the equivalent to removing 183 passenger vehicles from the road or the amount of electricity used by 120 residential homes in one year.
“It is an honor to know that we have been recognized for our efforts at HVCH. This is one more example of how we are leading the way to a healthier community,” says Stuck. HVCH will be recognized on June 13th at the OHA Energy and Sustainability awards luncheon in Columbus during the OHA Annual Meeting.
“Hocking Valley Community Hospital – Leading the Way to a Healthier Community.”
Hocking Valley is a community non-profit hospital with an emergency department, urgent care and a wide variety of clinical, specialty and outpatient services. For more information, contact the Community Relations office at (740) 380-8336.