Final Technical Report
Hackensack University Medical Center's major initiative to create a cleaner healthier and safer environment for patients, employees and the community served by the medical center is built on its commitment to protect the environment and conserve precious energy resources. Since 2004 the Medical Center launched a long term campaign to temper the negative environmental impact of proposed and existing new construction at the medical center and to improve campus wide overall energy efficiency. The plan was to begin by implementing a number of innovative and eco-friendly enhancements to the Gabrellian Women's and Children's Pavilion, in construction at the time, which would lead to Certification by the US Green Building Councils Leadership & Environmental Design (LEED) program. In addition the medical center would evaluate the feasibility of implementing a photovoltaic system in the new construction (in development and planned) to provide clean pollution free electricity. The steps taken to achieve this included conducting a feasibility study complete with architectural and engineering assessments to determine the potential for implementation of a photovoltaic system on the campus and also to conduct an energy survey that would focus on determining specific opportunities and upgrades that would lead to a healthier energy efficient interior environment at the medical center. The studies conducted by the medical center to determine the viability of installing a photovoltaic system identified two key issues that factored into leaderships decision not to implement the solar powered system. These factors were related to the advanced phase of construction of the women's and children's pavilion and the financial considerations to redesign and implement in the ambulatory cancer center. The medical center, in spite of their inability to proceed with the solar aspect of the project upheld their commitment to create a healthier environment for the patients and the community. To achieve a healthier energy efficient interior environment the medical center made substantive upgrades and improvements to the HVAC, plumbing electrical and other operating systems. Measures that were implemented range from use of lighting and plumbing fixture sensors , to reduce electrical and water usage, to use of refrigerants containing hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) which cause significantly less depletion of the ozone layer than the refrigerants more commonly used. Additional appropriate energy efficiency component upgrades include the installation of Chiller plants with variable frequency drives (VFDs) and harmonic filters, high efficiency motors, solar window glazing, and lighting/motion sensors.
- Research Organization:
- Hackensack University Medical Center
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE EE Office of Solar Energy Technology (EE-2A)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG36-04GO14212
- OSTI ID:
- 1039698
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/04GO14212-1; TRN: US201215%%160
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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