Healthcare Energy Efficiency Solutions for Reliable Power

An on-site power generation solution that delivers highly reliable, uninterrupted 24×7 power, ensuring healthcare energy efficiency in hospitals

Healthcare Industry
at a Glance

The nature of today’s hospitals—24×7 service supported by an expanding use of technology—creates an extraordinary demand for energy. Energy efficiency in hospitals is critical, as healthcare facilities use nearly 10% of the energy consumed by the commercial sector, despite representing just 5% of commercial floor space. What’s more, the recent convergence of climate and public health crises has exposed a sobering reality: the industry we trust to protect our health might be one of the most vulnerable to threats. In today’s reality of increasing uncertainty and elevated risk, it’s essential to implement a power source that provides the strongest layer of protection for critical facilities.

Quick Facts About
Healthcare Challenges

Energy Risks

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that extreme weather events can cause infrastructure damages to hospitals ranging from $600,000 to $2 billion. ¹
Hospitals are more energy-intensive than typical office buildings, using 2.5 times more energy per square foot due to their 24/7 operations and stringent building codes. ²

Big Business

The United States spent an estimated $12,742 per person on healthcare—almost 2x the average of other wealthy countries. ³

Thin Margins

The financial repercussions of Electronic Health Records (EHR) downtime are staggering, with each minute of downtime costing hospitals an average of $25,000, according to a 2023 study by the Uptime Institute.⁴
Average operating margin for US hospitals typically lies between 3% and 4%. ⁵

Overcoming Energy
Challenges

Preventing Downtime

The cost of downtime for healthcare facilities goes far beyond financial implications. Hospital power outages not only result in lost revenue, they cause significant productivity losses, issues with patient care, increased logistical costs, and canceled procedures. Bloom Energy’s microgrids for healthcare provide uninterrupted power, preventing costly outages and ensuring reliable patient care during critical situations.

Resilient Solution

Bloom offers a smarter alternative for generating always-on normal source power. Our solutions improve hospital resiliency by integrating hospital microgrids, enabling facilities to protect themselves from increasingly frequent and lengthy outages and their associated costs.

Lowering Emissions

The vast majority of healthcare facilities rely on grid-delivered electric power and diesel-powered electrical generators for backup contributes to the significant environmental impact of the health care sector. Emphasizing energy conservation in healthcare is essential for reducing both emissions and operational costs.

Sustainable Solution

Fuel cells are a non-combustion technology that produce virtually zero of the criteria air pollutants that form smog, cause asthma, and worsen public health. Hospitals can complement this technology by adopting sustainable energy solutions and a renewable energy procurement approach, further reducing their environmental footprint and enhancing sustainability.

Controlling Costs

With growing pressure on revenues, controlling hospital energy costs while maintaining quality patient care is increasingly challenging. These tight margins elevate the importance of any opportunities for risk planning and energy cost reduction. Hospitals can also implement a strategic energy procurement strategy to optimize energy costs and minimize price fluctuations, ensuring more predictable operational expenses.

Predictable Solution

In addition to avoiding outage-related costs that can reach into the millions of dollars, Bloom’s solution enables customers to hedge against volatility and price escalation by fixing a large portion of their electricity cost. By leveraging advanced energy technology and a strategic energy procurement approach, hospitals can secure long-term energy price stability, providing multiple financing options and flexible term lengths.

Healthcare Energy Efficiency FAQs

What are the benefits of energy efficiency in healthcare?

Healthcare energy efficiency offers numerous benefits, including lower operational costs, reduced environmental impact, and enhanced system reliability. By implementing advanced energy solutions for healthcare, hospitals can optimize energy use, reduce their carbon footprint, and ensure a more resilient power supply, even during outages.

For more information, contact our healthcare energy experts at Bloom Energy by filling out the form below.

How can hospitals improve energy efficiency?

Hospitals can improve healthcare energy efficiency by adopting energy technology like on-site power generation, fuel cells, and microgrids. These solutions help reduce energy waste, lower emissions, and increase operational efficiency. Additionally, upgrading HVAC and lighting systems can enhance energy performance.