Beth Israel Hospital Is New York AEE’s Energy Project of the Year
Hospital Installs Combined Heat and Power (CHP) System
The Energy Project of the Year recognizes an innovative energy management project that has been in operation for at least six months and can be substantiated with actual installation costs and operating savings. This award was presented to Continuum Heath Partners for its Go Green initiative at Beth Israel Brooklyn at AEE’s Annual Award Gala in New York City.
This $4.1 million investment in energy improvements at Beth Israel Brooklyn, including more than $640,000 in funding support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), is improving the patient care experience, occupant comfort, and air quality, and saving $600,000 in energy costs annually, according to Continuum Health.
“Congratulations to Continuum Health Partners for this recognition of its impressive energy project at Beth Israel Brooklyn,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., president and CEO, NYSERDA. “This project enables the hospital to better serve the community and supports Governor Cuomo’s call for increased sustainability and energy reliability at critical health care facilities. We are proud of our partnership to increase the use of clean energy, reduce energy use, and cut operational costs at this Continuum Health facility.”
“The awards committee and board were impressed with the comprehensiveness of Beth Israel’s project. Changing from steam to hydronic is a big job in a vacant building, and a huge challenge in a ‘live’ building. To take this on in an occupied facility with a critical environment is an enormous task and they made it happen,” said Fredric Goldner, NY-AEE chapter awards committee chair and past international president.
The hospital was facing the growing need to replace several old inefficient boilers, as well as rising electricity costs. Continuum Health partnered with Ecosystem, a firm of energy efficiency specialists, to develop a combined heat and power (CHP) system that generates heat and electricity, enabling the hospital to generate much of its own electricity. The hospital also replaced the steam distribution system with a more efficient hot water system, including automated controls and variable speed drives; optimized boiler operation; and replaced inefficient lighting systems. The CHP system provides diversification of energy usage, enhances reliability, and makes Beth Israel a community leader in sustainability.
Beth Israel Medical Center President Harris M. Nagler, M.D., said, “This project reinforces our commitment to reducing energy costs while being environmentally friendly.”
For more information about Ecosystem, visit www.ecosystem-energy.com. For more information on NYSERDA and its support of energy-saving projects, visit www.nyserda.ny.gov.
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Publication date: 9/9/2013
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