The Department of Health has won an award for its efforts to cut its increase in energy consumption.
The saving in energy consumption is estimated to saved around £220,000.
One of the more innovative developments has seen the implementation of equipment to reuse steam from Noble’s Hospital laundry for heating.
In 2011/12 the Department of Health used 57,144,777 kilowatt hours on energy totalling £2,555,836 with 84 per cent accounted for by Noble’s Hospital. For the same period, CO2 emissions stood at 12,587 tonnes.
Healthcare, in an acute hospital such as Noble’s, is a highly energy-intensive process.
With developments in technology and medical practice, and a growing population and increasing demand for healthcare, the demand for energy increases every year.
The Department of Health operates vital aervices, which are highly energy intensive, with no scope for reduction.
Noble’s Hospital’s steam recovery initiative was singled out as being highly innovative.
The hospital undertakes laundry for the whole of the island’s health service, and cleaning and sterilising laundry to the conditions required is a highly energy intensive process.
Steam had been getting vented from the laundry but is now recycled, instead being used to pre-heat Noble’s Hospital’s steam boiler water feed.
Keir Morris, hospital engineer from the estates services directorate, said: ‘We’re thrilled to have won this award, but our work is far from a flash in the pan initiative.
‘This has been from simple commonsense steps such as reminding staff to turn off lights, or fitting light sensors in certain areas to avoid lights be left on; to bigger and more innovative projects, such as the heat reclamation project by capturing steam from the laundry at Noble’s Hospital.
‘This one example alone saves around £12,000 a year in energy costs and reduces our CO2 emissions by over 87 tonnes a year.
‘Looking at how we can reduce energy and be more efficient is built into all of our projects and is an ongoing process that reaps rewards for both the public purse and the environment.’