Good Practice Links
The links below relate to the good practice examples outlined in our State of the Art Report, Low Carbon Buildings in the Healthcare Sector, which can be found here.
The good practice links are segmented by country:
- Austria
- England
- Germany
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Scotland
- Sweden
- European Networks/Projects
- Outside Europe
- Vienna Hospital Association
- Otto Wagner Spital Hospital
- Styrian Hospital Association
- NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy for England
- BREEAM Healthcare
- Newman University Hospital
- Wythenshawe Hospital
- Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
- BUND Label for Energy Savings Hospitals
- KLINERGIE 2020 PROJECT
- Hochtaunus Hospital
- Rehabilitation Centre at Bad Frankenhausen
- Klinikum Frankfurt Hoescht Hospital
- Meyer Children's Hospital
- Baggoivara Hospital
- Mestre Hospital
- Librino Hospital
- Erasmus Hospital Centre
- Deventer Hospital
- Gemini Hospital in Den Helden
- Action Plan for Energy Effective Buildings
- National Environment and Energy Forum for Healthcare Buildings
- St Olavs Hospital
- University Hospital Akershus
- Rawicz Hospital
- Health Facilities Scotland
- Girvan Community Hospital
- New South Glasgow Hospital
- Stockholm County Council
- Sustainable Healthcare (SHC) Project
- EU Project on Climate Friendly Health and Care (CLIRE)
- Malmo University Hospital
- Kristianstad Central Hospital
- BuildHealth
- COGEN CHALLENGE
- EISTEIN II
- EPLABEL
- ReCo
- RES-HOSPITALS
- Australia
The State Government of Victoria, Australia (Department of Health) has produced a guidance publication, 'Sustainability in Healthcare Capital Works', to embed sustainability into the full lifecycle of healthcare buildings. A series of practical checklists have also been developed to ensure all aspects of sutainability (including energy use) are addressed throughout the build process, from initial concept to implementation. The Department supports this guidance by ring fencing 2.5% of its capital development works budget for implementing sustainability initiatives above and beyongd standard practice. The Departmental website also promotes a range of case studies on various aspects of embedding sustainability into healthcare buildings.
- Canada
Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Innovators Initiative and the Canadian College of Health Services Executives have produced a guide to implementing an energy efficiency awareness program within a health care facility. Additional support offered includes training in energy efficiency for industry professionals, provision of case study information, maintenance of a network of energy management service providers and promotion of the use of energy performance contracting to help overcome capital funding barriers.
- China
The China Medical Network and China's Ministry of Health held the 11th China Hospital Construction Conference in 2010. This conference focused on green buildings concepts and standards, green hospital planning and design, green energy technologies, intelligent control systems and domestic & international case studies in green hospital buildings.
- United States of America
In the USA two not-for-profit organisations, Healthcare without Harm and the Centre for Maximum Potential Building Systems have produced a Green Guide for Healthcare. The Guide is a self-certifying best practice toolkit for sustainable design and operation of healthcare buildings. A number of practical resources aimed at supporting green design, construction and operation are procided in addition to conferences and project case studies. Another active organisation is the US Green Building Council (USGBC) that develooed and overseas the LEED green building certification programme, which encourages and recognises projects for better environmental and health performance. In 2009, the USGBC launced the LEE 2009 for Healthcare New Construction and Major Renovations rating system. This rating system was developed in close collaboration with the Green Guide for Healthcare. A fourth notable organisation is www.practicegreenhealth.org/, which is a not-for-profit membership organisation that promotes positive environmental stewardship and best practices by organisations in the healthcare sector. It provides a range of networking opportunities, guidance and training. It also organises annual environmental excellence awards and produces an annual sustainability benchmark report.
ENERGY STAR is a joint programme of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy. The programme provides resources to healthcare oranisations to improve energy efficiency including support in making the busienss case and benchmarking their performance. Training in energy efficiency is also provided along with networking opportunities for peers. To gain recognition for their efforts organisations can participate in the ENERGY STAR Challenge with the aim of improving energy efficiency by 10% or more. The Department of Energy (DOE) also runs the Hospital Energy Alliance (HEA) to share best practice and act as an industry voice to influence manufacturers and distributors on the demand for highly efficient products and services and help the DOE shape its R&D programme. The HEA has five project teams including: benchmarking and measurement; heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; lighting and electrical, medical equipment and plug loads; and power alternatives.
An interesting hospital example is Gundersen Lutheran in Winconsin, which set a goal in 2008 to reduce energy consumption by 20% within one year and generate 100% of energy from renewable energy systems by 2014. One of its initiatives is a co-generation project with a local brewery. Another is a 5MW community wind farm. In New York City, 13 hospitals are participating in the NYC Hospital Challenge. The objective of the Challenge is for the hospitals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent over the next 10 years.
