Ramsay's Hollywood Private Hospital has been recognised with a Global Healthcare Energy Award at the International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE) conference in Canada.
The award was for Hollywood “achieving the largest healthcare facility energy reduction in Australia.”
Engineering manager Rohit Jethro said the accolade recognised Hollywood for its total energy consumption reduction per square metre by 18 per cent in 2021 when compared to the base year of 2019. This is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of more than 380 homes.
Mr Jethro said the initiatives included the installation of energy-efficient equipment and machinery controls, which responded to the site demand more effectively.
“We have also installed energy-efficient lights, lighting controls and optimised the use of air conditioning in non-essential areas, amongst other things,” he said.
“One of the major factors in reducing energy consumption was the well-planned integration of the new buildings within the existing site.
“While the new buildings have been designed with energy-efficient features it was the interconnection of building services for the optimal utilisation of excess capacities on either side that has made the difference.
“As a result, we have been able to limit the amount of equipment in use simultaneously on this large site.”
Director of corporate services Julianne Allan said the award was a reflection of the work the engineering department has been doing in the sustainability space.
“Significant progress has been made in reducing carbon emissions through decreased electricity and gas consumption,” said Ms Allan.
CEO Andrew Tome said an 18 per cent reduction in energy consumption per square metre was outstanding, especially considering a significant expansion in infrastructure in recent years.
“This reduction in energy consumption aligns with Ramsay Health Care’s commitment to Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040,” said Mr Tome.
“Ramsay has committed to science-based emission reduction targets which are consistent with the Paris Agreement on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.”