Energy Sustainability in Healthcare
Introduction
Energy efficiency is the promotion of the use of lesser energy while providing the same level of energy/output. The process is critical as it can play a critical role in reducing pollution, cost, among other aspects. Energy efficiency may occur through the development of more improved technology, and adjustment to more practical processes. In a healthcare setting, energy efficiency is critical as it promotes quality of care, and brings about the universality of healthcare systems. The essay will discuss the benefits and costs of energy efficiency, how energy efficiency promotes patients care and outcomes, the role of energy efficiency in reducing waste, and suggest community partnerships and education programs.
Benefits and Costs of Energy Efficiency
Many benefits are associated with Energy efficiency. These benefits are not only limited to economic aspects, but also the environment and utility usage in the workplace. In the environmental level, improved energy efficiency is critical in reducing the rate of water usage. In addition, increased energy efficiency reduces gas emissions, among other pollutants in the environment. On the other hand, energy efficiency benefits an organization economically. Notably, there is more economic benefit in energy efficiency that undertaking a measure to generate a new generation, or even transmission (Molina, 2014).
Increased efficiency leads to a reduction in the price of natural gas. Also, energy efficiency helps in conservation of utilities. Within good energy resource plans integration, energy efficiency can provide sustained benefits in reducing baseload, as well as peak demand; thus, lowering the necessity for elevated transmission and generation assets. Therefore, energy efficiency lowers the cost of utility bills enabling individuals to save more. Another notable benefit of energy efficiency is risk management. Energy efficiency helps in the diversification of utility resources, which is critical as it can act as a hedge against risks associated with fluctuating oil prices among other risks.
Energy Efficiency into improving patient care and outcomes
Some individuals say that a penny spent is equally a penny gained. Running a healthcare facility means high spending. Therefore, developing a good energy management system is critical. There are many implications that energy efficiency brings along in healthcare, particularly in improving the quality of care and treatment outcomes. Among the many benefits is improved collaboration across various sectors. Ensuring improving energy access for medical care facilities needs collaboration and coordination between energy sectors, healthcare facilities, and investment societies. This is important as it helps in the financing of capital-intensive projects even in the absence of public resources (Gerarden et al., 2017). Therefore, this is critical in breaking down silos that limit progress in the development of innovation.
In addition, medical efficiency in healthcare there is an increased array of innovation in medical devices that use low-voltage, and direct current power that comes from solar photovoltaic systems. For instance the solar direct drive vaccine refrigerators. This is critical as more power can be used to more patients. In addition, it has facilitated the promotion of healthcare in areas that have a limited grind, as well as areas that generation is through the solar system. Therefore, it is worth saying that energy efficiency is prerequisite to facilitating healthcare in the universality of quality healthcare, and is a critical fundamental in the achievement of quality and sustainability of healthcare facilities.
How energy efficiency Reduces waste
Hospitals are perceived to use a lot of energy while carrying out their day to day operations. By improving energy efficiency they can be able to reduce the operational cost and thus offer medical services at a pocket-friendly price. Among the strategies which should be implemented to reduce waste by use of energy efficiency include thermal energy storage, heat recovery, day-lighting, and vacancy air control and in-room environment tempering (Gunay et al., 2016). Incineration of medical waste should be banned because it pollutes the environment by emitting dangerous waste products into the air and instead heat-based disinfection should be put in use. Hospitals should implement the use of renewable sources of energy to minimize wastage. Biodigestion should be used in the treatment of organic waste that is food materials and pathological waste. Biodigesters are perceived to have low maintenance cost and since they produce methane which is a gas, this could be used as a fuel to reduce the greenhouse gas which is not environmental friendly (Kvist et al., 2019).
Suggestion for community partnerships and education programs
Healthcare facilities require natural elements such as energy for its sustainable performance in promoting healthcare programs to the community. Healthcare design incorporates energy sustainability to facilitate returns on investments for healthcare facilities, health and recovery of those who require health services and benefiting healthcare visitors and staff. Design and architecture of every healthcare facility are important in sustaining the energy used. According to (Capolongo et al., 2016) Energy sustainability is also supported through the provision of sustainable natural materials, which help in the well- being and patient recovery in healthcare facilities. The views through natural light and green space make it possible in saving energy through building orientation and layouts. This plays a significant role in design-based architecture to promote energy sustainability in the healthcare environment.
Conclusion
Energy efficiency plays a critical role in reducing pollution, cost, among other aspects. Energy efficiency may occur through the development of more improved technology, and adjustment to more practical processes. In a healthcare setting, energy efficiency is critical as it promotes quality of care, and brings about the universality of healthcare systems. Therefore, healthcare facilities should seek to promote energy efficiency.
Energy usage diagram in healthcare facilities in the U.S. (Zadeh et al., 2016).
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References
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Gunay, H. B. (2016). Improving energy efficiency in office buildings through adaptive control of the indoor climate (Doctoral dissertation, Carleton University).
Kvist, T., & Aryal, N. (2019). Methane loss from commercially operating biogas upgrading plants. Waste management, 87, 295-300.
Molina, M. (2014, March). The best value for America’s energy dollar: a national review of the cost of utility energy efficiency programs. In American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
Zadeh, R. S., Xuan, X., & Shepley, M. M. (2016). Sustainable healthcare design. Facilities.