The expenditure on electricity varies from 2-4% of the total expenditure of a hospital, thereby making power a significant expense head, points out a survey conducted by Hosmac India Pvt. Ltd ‘Green’ healthcare is set to be the upcoming buzz in the construction industry. To ensure sterile and clean environment to patients, hospitals in India tend to consume large amount of electricity and end up spending exorbitant amount of money in this segment. Therefore, experts are increasingly recommending green healthcare operations.
“Energy is a significant expense in a hospital, apart from manpower and consumables expenses. This clearly indicates that there is an opportunity for hospitals to cut costs and thereby contribute to reducing the ecological carbon foot print,” says Dr Vivek Desai, managing director of Hosmac India Pvt. Ltd, a leading hospital planning and management consultancy firm based in Mumbai.
 Green hospitals: The concept
Green hospitals are buildings that tend to make maximum use of natural light and solar energy. Therefore, these buildings are constructed in a specific angle of alignment with the sun to maximise the use of natural light. Apart from this, these buildings aid in establishing a passive cooling system for the interiors. Windows are also located at particular angles to ensure ventilation, increase access to natural light and reduce heat.
Using simple operational measures such as installing unitary air conditioning systems and sensors, among others also facilitate in electricity conservation in various departments of the hospitals.
Survey reveals
To understand the consumption of electricity per bed across hospitals, Hosmac recently conducted a survey among various healthcare facilities across metros. According to the survey, the expenditure on electricity varies from 2-4% of the total expenditure of a hospital, thereby making power a significant expense head. Besides, note the following three striking revelations that came out of the survey:
Recommendation: The survey therefore recommends green hospitals to reduce electricity consumption and slash operational costs considerably. Furthermore, the survey points out that hospitals can undertake initiatives to educate their staff about the various effective measures to save power.
“Hospitals can undertake simple measures like switching off the air conditioners when not in use, and if it is a centrally air-conditioned building then the management can go for effective maintenance of the filters, which eventually reduce chilled water pumping requirement and in turn cuts electricity costs considerably,” says Sameer Mehta, COO of Hosmac Projects, the infrastructure division of Hosmac India Pvt. Ltd. Mr Mehta further added that the demand for green hospitals is going strong currently and he went on to cite examples such as Kohinoor Hospital, Kurla; Savla Hospital, Seawood etc.
Documented evidences
There are hospitals in India that have managed to reduce electricity consumption by 27% and save up to Rs 40 lakh annually by greening healthcare operations. In this regard, mention may be made of Pune-based Jehangir Hospital and Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital in Coimbatore.
Jehangir Hospital saved Rs 46.25 lakh with an investment of mere Rs 27.95 lakh. The hospital through its innovative strategies reduced electrical energy consumption by 12.66%, water energy consumption by 53.9%, specific energy consumption for air conditioning by 17.9% and lighting by 5.99%. Similarly, Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital through its initiatives—monitoring energy utilisation, technology upgradation and emphasis on the use of renewable energy resources—considerably reduced its energy spending.
Jeeta Bandopadhyay |
