The provision of high-quality healthcare requires a hygienic, clean, and safe environment. This entails ensuring access to clean running water furthermore with proper sanitation and energy for both patients and staff. A crucial aspect of infection prevention and control programs is maintaining good hand hygiene. It is essential to meet standards for water quality, sanitation, and environmental health facilities to save costs through water and energy efficiency.
The healthcare industry is complex. In pursuing the noble goal of saving lives, hospitals have unique needs. For an industry that uses far more energy than most, of course it can be difficult to get a healthcare facility running efficiently. Several factors make it challenging to achieve energy-efficient operations in a hospital setting, including:
1. 24/7/365 Operations
Healthcare facilities require continuous care for patients, and life-saving equipment necessitates constant power supply. Unlike other buildings that can conserve energy by limiting usage after hours, healthcare facilities operate 24/7 therefore leaving no downtime for energy efficiency measures. Additionally, the need for round-the-clock operation can sometimes delay technology upgrades. When implementing energy conservation systems, meticulous coordination is crucial to avoid disruptions to daily activities or patient care. Even unoccupied patientcare rooms must be carefully coordinated with staff and facility managers to ensure seamless operations.
2. Health and Safety Concerns
When embarking on energy and water projects, hospital facility managers and technology partners must be keenly aware of the sensitive environment. The health and safety of patients, staff, visitors, and others must be a central consideration throughout every project. The extra precautions required can make energy and water projects more complex, hence it is advisable to always use an experienced technology partner, that understands the diversified needs of the stakeholders it serves.
Contamination can be a safety concern that delays new projects. Technology providers also need to be creative when finding workspaces and storage areas to work with, which then makes the job even more complicated.
Added to that, lighting can have a direct impact on safety long after a project is complete. Facility staff and patients travel between the hospital and their vehicles at all hours of the day and night. It is necessary to have appropriate lighting in place, so that everyone can feel safe while entering and exiting the facility no matter what time it is.
3. Expanding Facilities Over Time
Numerous established hospitals have a makeshift layout, where new wings are added to the original building as the facilities expand. Consequently, newer areas often possess different energy and water infrastructure compared to the older sections. Older parts of the hospital might feature outdated and less efficient lighting and HVAC systems, while newly constructed spaces are designed with improved insulation and layouts aimed at reducing energy consumption.
4. Rising Energy Costs
Businesses are alarmed about the increasing energy costs, as energy prices are subject to natural fluctuations based on market conditions. Hospitals, with their complex buildings, substantial product procurement, and high transportation expenses, face particular vulnerability to sudden rises in energy costs.
Beyond the benefits for individual companies, MEB´s advanced water treatment and power generation technologies foster a broader positive impact on healthcare and the environment. It is important to contribute to the mitigation of water scarcity, support sustainable healthcare where health facilities save costs through water and energy efficiency, and protect aquatic ecosystems from pollution and degradation.
We understand that each water treatment and power generation challenge is unique, requiring bespoke plug-and-play solutions to ensure effective and efficient outcomes. As such, we always collaborate closely with multiple technology partners to develop innovative approaches that address specific project needs.
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