313-Bed Hospital Slashes Energy Costs 30% While Maintaining Critical Care
A Maryland healthcare facility dramatically reduced energy consumption while maintaining critical care operations thanks to an innovative hydronic design and adaptive controls.
760K kWh
reduction in annual electricity costs
.31 kW/ton
improvement in energy efficiency
location
Rockville, MD
size
3,700 tons capacity
industry
Healthcare
the problem
Balancing Efficiency with Critical Care Needs
The 313-bed hospital in Rockville, Maryland faced mounting pressure to reduce energy consumption across their 500,000 square foot facility while ensuring uninterrupted service to their Acute Care Center. Their existing primary-secondary-tertiary cooling system suffered from inherent inefficiencies including high system pressure, low chilled water temperature differential, and excessive energy consumption per ton of cooling. The facility’s four Trane chillers, with 3,700 tons of installed cooling capacity, were underperforming despite their potential.
The hospital’s building automation system utilized standard sequences without optimization capabilities, requiring frequent manual intervention from maintenance staff. As part of a healthcare system-wide energy reduction initiative, administrators needed a solution that would deliver substantial energy savings without disrupting critical patient care operations. Any system modifications would need to be implemented with zero tolerance for cooling interruptions.
the solution
Strategic Redesign with Adaptive Intelligence
The cornerstone of the solution was the installation of an adaptive Xpress® system that continuously monitors operating conditions and adjusts parameters to minimize energy usage per ton of cooling. This approach allowed the hospital to maintain precise temperature and humidity requirements across all hospital areas while dramatically reducing energy consumption.
To maximize system efficiency, this comprehensive approach included:
- Converting the plant to an Integrated Primary-Secondary® design, eliminating bypass flow and blending issues while raising the temperature differential
- Installing variable frequency drives on three of six primary chilled water pumps to match flow with actual demand
- Implementing intelligent tertiary pump control strategies to reduce system pressure and minimize wasted energy
The integration of the Xpress® system delivered results from day one, reducing operational costs while improving team response to varying patient area demands.
Implementation was meticulously phased to ensure zero disruption to patient care areas. The engineering team worked closely with hospital staff to schedule work during periods of lower cooling demand and established contingency protocols to maintain critical cooling if needed during the transition.
the results
Big Savings and Enhanced Reliability
Annual energy savings reached $87,400, representing a 30% reduction in cooling-related energy costs. The facility reduced electricity consumption by 760,000 kWh annually while improving energy efficiency by 0.31 kW/ton. The utility provider recognized the significance of these improvements with a $140,000 rebate.
Beyond the financial benefits, the hospital experienced substantial operational improvements:
- Equipment wear and tear dramatically reduced
- Extended useful life of expensive cooling system assets
- Minimal manual intervention required by maintenance staff