Equipped with Plan B: Preparing Your Energy Sources for 2014
How did you spend the end of your year? Besides hearty meals and plenty of family
time, you probably spent your time strategically planning for the upcoming year. Like
many other healthcare systems, you may be searching for what can set your system
apart from others. Your competitive advantage may lie in the details of your energy
contingency plans.
Going Beyond Plan A
There are plenty of healthcare systems that have planned out their year like they always
do, but how many healthcare systems do you think are planning their energy sources for
2014? How many healthcare providers are happy and comfortable with the
sustainability – not green sustainability, but supply sustainability – of their energy
source?
The cover story of Buildings magazine’s current issue, “Gear Up for Grid Failure” [link to
magazine article] echoes this concern---a concern Haskell has asked recently [link to
Hospital Energy Issues blog]. Although the likelihood of a Hurricane Sandy or Joplin
tornado occurring in your near future is low, inevitably, something similarly unlucky is
bound to touch your hospital. Take a look at how likely this could occur to you in these
statistics from the Buildings magazine article below:
Based on DOE data, there have been 144 weather disasters costing $1 billion or more since 1980.
Of those, 11 occurred in 2012, which is the second highest cluster behind 2011 for any year on
record.
These trends indicate that intense storms are not merely freak occurrences but are possibly
becoming the norm. The proof? Seven of the ten costliest weather disasters in American history
occurred in the last decade alone (2004-2012).
The main issue the article addresses is whether your healthcare system is prepared as
best as possible when Plan B is necessary. In the event of a major weather event, ask
yourself, will your energy source sustain your critical systems and equipment, electronic
health records and HVAC?
Benefits of a Varied Energy Supply Portfolio
More and more hospitals are investigating the benefits of a varied energy supply
portfolio, which may rely on grid-supplied electricity, but can also be supplemented by
natural gas fuel and a combination of on-site power sourcing like cogeneration
(combined heat and power), solar / wind, or biofuel (waste-to-energy).
Instead of depending 100% on electricity, savvy risk managers are diversifying their
power supply for their hospitals. For example, using 60% electricity, 30% cogeneration
and 10% other, a hospital can more heavily rely on on-site options.
Combined Heat and Power: Possible Solution?
According to A Guide for Using Combined Heat and Power for Enhancing Reliability and
Resiliency in Buildings, a report from the EPA, HUD, and DOE, “CHP systems allow
facilities to remain functional in the event of a disaster and for non-critical loads to
resume functionality as quickly as possible. For example, CHP systems with back start
capability and other technical requirements can ensure seamless operation during a grid
outage.”
By simultaneously producing electricity and heat from a single fuel source, CHP is approximately
30% more efficient than using grid-purchased electricity and an on-site boiler. They can also use
a variety of fuel options, such as natural gas, biomass, biogas, coal, waste heat, or oil.
If you want to minimize Mother Nature’s effect on your hospital’s efficiency, let’s
discuss how our team can help you determine how to manage your healthcare system
energy supply. It is about time you have a peace-of-mind heading into next season.