- The U.S. Department of Energy's Commercial Building Program and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory are working with the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers to find ways that hospitals can cut energy use in half.
- Hospitals in the U.S. are estimated to consume more than 836 trillion BTUs of energy annually. In the process, they emit more than 2.5 times the carbon dioxide that commercial office buildings generate.
- The work has potential for schools because they, too, often have ventilation systems uncoupled from heating and cooling systems, the researchers say.
From the article:
The Advanced Energy Design Guidelines from the Department of Energy and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers aims to provide ways for hospitals, schools, and large retail buildings to trim their energy consumption by 50%. The 50% AEDG series takes into account 16 climate zones and five building types. ...
