Vermont hospitals recognized for energy-saving efforts at VAHHS annual meeting
Jay Peak, VT
Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined Efficiency Vermont today at the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems’ (VAHHS) annual meeting to recognize Vermont’s medical centers for their ongoing efforts to reduce their energy use. Over the past 15 years Efficiency Vermont has worked with all of Vermont’s hospitals to help them improve the energy efficiency of their facilities and save on their operating costs. Since 2000 Efficiency Vermont has partnered with hospitals to achieve over $40 million in lifetime energy savings.
Beyond reduced operating costs, there are many system-wide benefits that result from improved energy efficiency in hospitals. They have more comfortable spaces for their patients and staff, they produce fewer polluting emissions, which negatively impact air quality and therefore impact public health, and they demonstrate leadership by working to improve the sustainability of their facilities. Starting in 2011, hospitals and Efficiency Vermont began using energy benchmarking to evaluate the energy performance of hospital buildings in the state. As a result of this collaborative effort each medical facility received a comprehensive energy report, which has helped them to identify attainable, cost-effective measures for reducing and managing their energy use. Vermont is the only state in the country to have benchmarked all of its hospitals.
“Over the past 15 years our partnership and collaboration with Vermont hospitals has continued to grow,” said Liz Gamache, Director of Efficiency Vermont. “With reduced energy costs, hospitals can focus their resources on delivering excellent health care services to Vermonters.”
This year three Vermont hospitals were formally recognized for their great progress in energy efficiency performance. UVM Health Network - Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) in Berlin, VT received a 2015 Northeast Business Leader for Energy Efficiency award from Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships and a 2015 Environmental Excellence Award from Governor Peter Shumlin. CVMC’s efforts have resulted in over $650,000 in annual energy cost savings.
Gifford Medical Center and Springfield Hospital were the first hospitals in the state to achieve the EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification and the only two hospitals in New England to meet this standard so far in 2015. Both hospitals worked closely with Efficiency Vermont for many years to make energy efficiency upgrades in their facilities. Buildings that receive this certification perform in the top 25% of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency. Last year only 40 hospitals across the nation were able to achieve this standard. A representative from the EPA attended the VAHHS annual meeting to present Gifford Medical Center and Springfield hospital with ENERGY STAR flags as a symbol of their accomplishments.
“Congratulations to Vermont’s first-ever ENERGY STAR Certified hospitals. This is a challenging standard to achieve and they are setting a great example for medical centers throughout New England,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of the US EPA’s New England office. “All of Vermont’s hospitals are making great strides to reduce their energy consumption. These efforts are important and impactful, resulting in a better environment for their patients both inside and outside of their facilities.”
About Efficiency Vermont
As the nation’s first Energy Efficiency Utility, Efficiency Vermont has helped Vermont avoid over 13.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award for the last eight consecutive years. Efficiency Vermont works with partners to help our state transition to more affordable, low carbon energy use through education, incentives, and support for our clean energy workforce. Learn more at www.efficiencyvermont.com.
Efficiency Vermont Press Contact
Matthew Smith
Phone: (802) 540-7662
[email protected]