Pioneering the transition to all-electric hospitals

The need for decarbonisation in healthcare is becoming increasingly critical. Healthcare represents almost 20 per cent of the US national economy, 8.5% of US carbon emissions, and 5% of global carbon emissions, with these figures continuing to grow. Traditionally, healthcare is known for its principle of 'doing no harm'; however, it significantly contributes to the carbon footprint. The built environment, which includes healthcare facilities, is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for almost 40% of total energy-related emissions. Decarbonising hospitals is an essential step towards a low-carbon future and meeting global climate goals.

Major health organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Hospital Federation, emphasise the urgency of addressing climate change to prevent a rapidly expanding public health crisis. Similarly, engineering and design organisations such as the International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE) and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASRAE) advocate for significant reductions in the collective carbon footprint by 2030. This means not only halting the increase in carbon emissions but also reducing existing emissions by 50%.

The transition to all-electric systems in hospitals is a crucial part of this decarbonisation effort. Traditionally, hospitals rely on natural gas for heating, hot water, and steam, while simultaneously using chiller plants to remove heat from buildings and reject it to the atmosphere. A more efficient and less carbon-intensive approach involves using heat pumps and heat recovery chillers. These systems, which run solely on electricity, require zero on-site combustion and recover waste heat from within the building to be repurposed for other heating needs.