A new case study from the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) illustrates that electrification of a hospital heating plant while maintaining operations in an existing building is feasible technically and financially.
The report, intended to help inform other hospitals’ efforts to estimate the costs of achieving carbon neutrality, profiles Providence St. Peter Hospital, a community hospital in Olympia, Wash. The hospital is 733,000 square feet, has 372 licensed beds, and was built in 1969 during the Hill-Burton era.
The case study reviews the technical and financial feasibility to eliminate combustion-based emissions by electrifying the existing heating plant: two dual-fueled boilers. Providence already uses renewable power and has developed a climate action plan that includes decarbonization strategies for anesthetic gases, transportation, waste, and electricity.
The study reviews the costs of four scenarios to reduce emissions according to new building emission requirements in Washington. The recommended scenario implements demand-side energy savings measures, followed by an air-source health pump plant. Researchers estimate capital costs of $62 million, or $85/square foot, and total cost of ownership over 17 years of $112.6 million, or $154/square foot.
The study found that it is technically feasible to decarbonize the heating plant while the hospital maintains operations, but achieving carbon neutrality will take 10 to 15 years. Researchers noted that decarbonization is financially feasible, costing around $100/square foot, and noted several financial mechanism that could help Providence, such as the incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The study notes that hospital leaders must consider emerging and continually changing technologies while planning for decarbonization.
Contact Director of Policy Rob Nelb, MPH, at rnelb@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.