Green Healthcare Solutions
Healthcare Green Touchscreen Kiosk Demo
“Like so many others, hospitals are striving to adopt Green practices to serve as a good steward of the community, to reduce energy costs, and to enhance patient and staff well being.
To assist hospitals in the goal of becoming Green Siemens has introduced the Healthcare Green Touchscreen kiosk. The Healthcare Green Touchscreen is the newest addition to Siemens green building solutions and is used by hospitals to educate the public, staff and others about the hospital’s sustainability efforts. Visitors to the hospital use the touch screen interface, typically placed in the building’s lobby, to view specific data related to the hospitals energy usage, visualize its carbon footprint, learn fun facts and much more.
Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas - The World's First LEED Platinum Hospital
Siemens worked with Seton Healthcare to provide the APOGEE building automation system that monitors temperature, pressure and humidity throughout the nearly half million square foot Dell Children's facility. It’s estimated efficiency measures at this hospital save enough power to fuel 18-hundred homes! The hospital contains numerous greenhouse features including motion and natural light sensors that shut off unneeded lights; low flow plumbing throughout; use of local materials, like stone, which saves fuel for shipping; and healing gardens and open courtyards designed to improve both air quality and morale.
Hospitals strive to provide an optimum healthcare experience and a more sustainable environment. That environment contributes to quality patient care, revenue generation, regulatory compliance, as well as other hospital objectives. As a result, hospitals are adopting Green practices in an effort to:
Enhance patient health and well-being
Provide for faster patient recovery time
Achieve operating cost savings
Increase building efficiency
Reduce energy costs
Improve air quality
The LEED Rating System for Healthcare and The Green Guide for Healthcare are two specific documents designed for healthcare organizations to guide these unique facilities toward the goal of being Green. The rating systems provide certification points in various environmental categories that impact the design and operation of buildings. The major categories of the rating systems include:
Siemens can significantly help healthcare organizations build and sustain Green healthcare facilities in numerous ways:
Categories | Examples: Siemens can help hospitals with: |
|---|
Water Efficiency | Water Treatment Water treatment systems remove contaminants through technologies, including reverse osmosis, deionization, UV photo-oxidation, ultrafiltration (UF), and microfiltration. Measurement and Verification
Monitor water usage by utilizing meters on the hopsitals water sources and submeters for various identified uses (for example, cooling tower makeup, boiler water make-up, outdoor irrigation systems, purified water systems, laundry, etc.). |
Energy & Atmosphere | Fundamental Commissioning Enhanced Commissioning Optimize Energy Performance The following mandatory controls are required for HVAC system energy efficiency: - Zone isolation - Shutoff Damper Control - Low-leakage Dampers - Ventilation Fan Shutoff - Humidifier Preheat - Freeze Protection - Demand Control Ventilation Measurement and Verification Metering must be provided for electrical and mechanical systems such as: Lighting Power Loads, Chillers, Data Centers, Critical Electrical Distribution Systems, Air Distribution Systems, and Motor Loads. |
Environmental Quality | Monitor Outdoor Air Delivery Maintain minimum indoor air quality Monitor CO2 Provide patient controls for thermal comfort |
GGHC Operations | Annual Energy Audit Outdoor Air Introduction and Exhaust System Ongoing Commissioning Staff Education Building Systems Monitoring |
Delivering Green solutions and services to healthcare organizations is only one element in the overall construct of a complex healthcare facility. Siemens provides expertise in the design and maintenance of a hospital’s infrastructure, the creation of environments for patient well being, the delivery of energy saving programs, technology for efficient operations, and on-going services for optimum hospital building performance. Expertise within this wide range of healthcare related areas uniquely qualifies Siemens to provide superior results for healthcare organizations.