Energy-Efficient Upgrades From SIEMENS Will Help WATERBURY HOSPITAL Save Millions, Improve Patient Comfort and Lighten Environmental Impact

Siemens Building Technologies, Inc., will help Waterbury Hospital significantly reduce its annual energy and water usage and associated facility maintenance through a systematic, two-phase program of heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system and building envelope upgrades. Once the facility improvement measures are completed, Waterbury Hospital, located in Waterbury, Conn., is guaranteed the equivalent of more than $10 million in avoided annual energy costs, at present utility rates, over the 10-year life of the performance-based contract.

“As energy prices rise, so does the pressure on us to find new ways to manage operating costs without impacting patient care or staffing,” says Waterbury Hospital COO, Mary Prybylo. “Implementing a performance contract is an excellent way to achieve our cost-efficiency goals because the energy-saving upgrades—which normally would be a huge drag on capital improvement budgets—are financed by the energy savings the upgrades are guaranteed to produce. More importantly, we will have better overall control of the facility environment, which means better patient and staff comfort, as well as a significant reduction in environmental emissions.”

Facility-wide conservation improvements have been designed to reduce electrical, heating and cooling needs, as well as lower water usage. Facility improvements will include constructing new cooling towers, installing a new water treatment system, implementing lighting retrofits, upgrading the energy management system, and installing weather stripping on all windows. Once completed, annual energy savings are anticipated to reach 974,000 kilowatts of electricity and 418,000 therms of natural gas. According to Siemens, over 10 years this will reduce emissions of typical greenhouse gases by approximately 65 million pounds and save the equivalent of some 69,000 barrels of oil.

Water-conserving improvements including installing low-flow plumbing fixtures and eliminating once-through water-cooled systems will be implemented to reduce water usage and associated sewer and water costs. The existing steam plant and associated steam distribution system will be improved as well, including repairs and modifications to the steam condensate return system to improve its function and overall efficiency.

“Because the list of system improvements is so extensive and comprehensive, we expect to realize energy cost savings in a very short time frame,” says Steve Jalowiec, Waterbury Hospital’s director of engineering. “Perhaps even more exciting is the fact that with the installation of new pumps, controls and other up-to-date technologies, we are sure to see a system-wide drop in associated maintenance costs. So instead of my staff chasing one age-related breakdown after another—putting out fires as we call it—they can concentrate on preventative maintenance which prevent costly, disruptive breakdowns. This ensures the equipment is operating at peak performance and corrective repairs are more visible to the patients and staff.”