Were We Too Critical of EnergySmart Hospitals?

In an online article on the U.S. Department of Energy's EnergySmart Hospitals, we compared that program to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star for Healthcare program. Having looked at both programs, we suggested that, without benchmarking and reporting requirements, the EnergySmart Hospitals program was the less rigorous of the two. In addition, several sources we spoke with suggested that the program would do little to support energy efficiency that the Energy Star program was not already doing. Walt Vernon, an engineer involved in both programs, takes issue with our conclusions--his letter is pasted below. We'd love to hear from others with experience or knowledge of these programs--what do you think? On January 22, 2009, BuildingGreen published the article Energy Department's Hospitals Program Lacking in Rigor. I am an engineer deeply involved with the design and construction of healthcare facilities around the country. In addition, I am also involved in many codes, standards, and green healthcare initiatives. I am fortunate to be able to work closely with both the EPA's ENERGY STAR for Healthcare Program, and the DOE's EnergySmart Hospitals Program. I am very familiar with the workings of the two programs, and I can say, without hesitation, there is no truth to the title in your article, nor in the sentiments expressed in it. The EnergySmart Hospitals program, while newer than the EPA program, was designed to complement EPA's program, and is providing value to the hospital sector. In my opinion, and I work with a lot of hospitals, both programs offer unique, and valuable services to the healthcare community – reducing energy use and costs and promoting a more sustainable energy future. Frankly, the tone of your article pitting one program against the other does a disservice to both programs and diverts attention away from the urgent needs facing our nation's hospitals. As cited in the article, hospitals are highly regulated, complex, and energy intensive buildings. The DOE created EnergySmart Hospitals to use its national research labs and other technical resources to develop and disseminate the strategies, technologies and best practices that allow hospitals to improve upon their benchmarks. DOE encourages hospitals to use the ENERGY STAR benchmarking protocol, and then to use whatever technical resources it finds most useful to improve its performance. One of the tools the DOE is supporting (and which I am helping to develop) is the Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities. Created in partnership with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the U.S. Green Building Council, the Illuminating Engineering Society, and the American Institute of Architects, the guide will document technologies and practices for achieving 30 percent savings versus code in new hospital facilities. The guide, using national laboratory expertise for calculating the best packages to ensure ease of dissemination, targets facilities of fewer than 90,000 square feet and is slated for release in fall 2009, while a version for larger facilities is planned for 2010. Another resource under development is a suite of training packages. The curricula will emphasize energy management in existing facilities as well as integrated building design strategies for new construction. The centerpiece of the EnergySmart Hospitals initiative is their Hospital Energy Alliance (HEA). Thanks to decades of R&D in both the public and private sectors, our nation has a wealth of promising energy efficiency and renewable energy options. The HEA is part of intensive DOE efforts to accelerate the movement of these technologies into the marketplace, and will ensure that solutions developed jointly by government and industry fit the unique needs and drivers of the hospital sector. The HEA brings together leading hospitals and national associations in a partnership designed to promote evidence-based information on energy efficiency strategies and to serve as a strong voice on the collective demand for highly efficient products and services. Successful collaboration between industry, ENERGY STAR for Healthcare and EnergySmart Hospitals will help increase the market penetration of energy efficient technologies. It also allows hospitals to take an environmental leadership role in their communities through reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Let us stand on each other's shoulders to deal with the real challenges ahead of us and not waste time finding fault in each other. There is no time left for finding fault. As Benjamin Franklin said of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." Let us follow his example. Respectfully submitted, Walt Vernon, President, M+NLB Consultants & Engineers Co-Coordinator, Green Guide for Healthcare