Monday 21st June 2010 - Published by Lara Page - Account Manager
A bright idea that helped cut electricity bills
A trial conducted by IRS Medical at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey to cut its energy bills has almost doubled its target levels, achieving an 18.8% reduction in electricity consumption, against a target of 10%.
The hospital in Frimley falls within the current criteria of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) programme, and therefore faces financial penalties if energy consumption is not reduced on a yearly basis. Frimley Park Hospital agreed to run an energy (electricity only) monitoring trial in the Estates Department, conducted by IRS Medical, with a target of reducing energy usage by 10% in one month.
The CRC program, which came into effect on 1st April 2010, is compulsory and targets all organisations with combined annual energy (electricity) consumption greater than 6,000,000 kilowatts (kW). In the current climate, avoiding financial penalties and reducing energy costs is vital to all organisations, especially hospitals, where budgets are already stretched.
The electricity monitoring equipment installed throughout the hospital’s Estates Department by IRS allowed the 60 staff members taking part in the trial to see the real-time energy consumption of all devices and equipment, including PCs, lighting, printers, and drinks machines, making it easier to determine where energy savings could be made.
The IRS Medical trial helped make staff more aware of the energy they consume, and provided solutions for cutting the cost of the hospital’s electricity bill, achieving an 18.8% saving in a month.
The IRS equipment allowed the department to measure consumption accurately; set timers for switching equipment on or off; and calculate and display projected costs, energy consumption, and CO2 footprint.
The hospital were so impressed with the savings seen in the Estates Department that they have asked IRS to commence a new trial with Patient Records, which will run throughout June and July 2010, and will again have a target of reducing energy consumption by at least 10%.
Gillian Brown, Environment Manager at Frimley Park Hospital, commented: “The trial has been a real success, and allowed us to engage with staff on a one to one basis on the importance of energy saving. The changes recommended by IRS Medical proved that with the right guidance, significant carbon reduction can be achieved and more importantly, sustained"
Energy Reduction - Frimley Park Hospital - a pr2go story
