An affiliate of ECHN, Manchester Memorial Hospital, in Manchester, Conn., is a 249-bed acute care facility offering inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services to communities east of Hartford, Conn.

“We have been consistently diligent in our efforts to find ways to reduce our costs; going green not only saves dollars, but also saves the environment,” said Peter J. Karl, president and CEO of ECHN. “With our strategic partner, Siemens, we are achieving this goal, creating a healthier, more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient facility that will better serve our patients and staff for decades to come.”

At the heart of the project, slated for completion by June 2013, is the replacement of aging oil-fired boilers with four new, highly efficient, high-pressure low-emission dual-fuel boilers that will be primarily fired by natural gas. Siemens is managing all aspects of the project and will remove the old boilers and bring the new units on-line with minimal disruption to hospital operations. The new boilers are expected to save energy, improve reliability, and significantly reduce maintenance and repair costs, helping to reduce the hospital’s fuel expenses up to 35 percent.

For the past five years, Siemens has worked with ECHN and Manchester Memorial to implement this comprehensive plan to save energy, which also includes the upgrade and retrofit of building lighting systems, water conservation measures, a new upgraded energy management system, and new high-efficiency chillers.

The positive effects of the energy efficiency improvements are expected to be pervasive and long-lasting, not only reducing energy and water consumption significantly, but also reducing operations and maintenance costs by approximately $28,500 annually. The upgrades will also provide environmental benefit, helping to reduce the hospital’s yearly carbon footprint by 5,308,357 pounds of CO2.

For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies.

Publication date: 12/17/2012