Net Zero Energy and Carbon Footprint
Green Health Care Building Design (GHCBD) continues to evolve with newer versions and rating systems published by the US GBC, GGHC projects to better serve the building industry and to quantify results. In 2008, the US Department of Energy (DOE) issued the Net Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative with the goal of achieving zero energy commercial building by the year 2025. At the same time, DOE also issued the Energy Smart Hospital Initiative with immediate goals of reaching 30% energy efficiency improvement over current standards for new hospital construction.
Energy Smart Hospitals provide the following benefits:
- Minimize impact of volatile energy costs
- Lower operational and maintenance costs
- Improved environmental quality and performance
- Reduce carbon footprint
- Create healthier patient healing and staff working environment
We at TJEG continually work on the following important issues in the coming years to achieve the goal of a net zero energy hospital building:
- Educate the building owners/ stakeholders on the true costs and benefits of adopting green/ sustainable design solutions.
- Develop new building envelope materials, components, systems and construction techniques to minimize building energy loads
- Develop ultra energy efficient MEP systems and components to minimize the energy usage.
- Develop ultra efficient water fixtures and systems and technologies to recycle and harvest the gray water.
- Develop new processes that minimize waste generation and provide maximum recycling opportunities.
