Energy & Resource Efficiency

The Implement Energy-Efficient Systems field focuses on upgrading hospital and lab infrastructure with smart technologies, such as LED lighting and optimized HVAC systems, to reduce energy consumption. This also involves integrating renewable energy sources and establishing protocols to optimize air-change rates and recover waste heat. The Optimize water usage and disposal efficiency field addresses the water footprint by promoting water reuse schemes, recovering water from production processes, and developing solutions to treat wastewater streams as an alternative to incineration. Finally, the Multifunctional devices approach suggests replacing specialized, less-used equipment with versatile or centralized devices to reduce the total number of items purchased and maintained.

Implement Energy-Efficient Systems

Upgrade infrastructure with smart and renewable energy systems, optimize HVAC, and redesign workflows to reduce energy use.

• Implement smart systems to shut down inactive devices and reduce standby energy consumption/downtime.

• Optimize air-change rates and fume hoods to minimal requirements.

• Optimize waste heat recovery.

• Redesign workflows in hospitals to reduce waste and energy use, particularly in operating rooms and intensive care units. (Healthcare provision, patients & services)

• Integrate renewable energy sources, such as solar power, into building designs/infrastructure to minimize CO}_2$ emissions. (Infrastructure and Facility Management)

• Every project with higher investment should go through an energy challenge; establish Energy Savings Teams with members of all departments.

• Develop systems to recover energy from lab devices and HVAC systems (R&D).

Optimize water usage and disposal efficiency

Implement water reuse schemes and develop wastewater treatment solutions to minimize freshwater consumption and reduce the need for incineration.

• Recover and recycle water from pharmaceutical production processes to reduce freshwater usage.

• Disposal of surgical liquid waste rather to canalisation than to incineration.

• Develop solutions for separation of the water fraction prior to incineration of contaminated low hazardous streams.

Multifunctional devices

Centralize devices and replace single-purpose equipment with more sustainable, multifunctional alternatives.

• Centralise devices as an internal service in a dedicated location.