Bridgeport Hospital Expects ‘Lifetime Energy Savings of $5.15m’

Bridgeport Hospital expects to save $357,108, or 2.2 million kWh annually, after partnering with Energize Connecticut and the United Illuminating Company and completing a series of energy efficient upgrades, the hospital says.

The hospital, which is one of the largest employers in Bridgeport, Conn., also expects a lifetime energy savings of $5,145,620, or 32.1 million kWh. It received an incentive amount of $288,137 from Energize Connecticut and it expects the investment will pay for itself in less than four years.

Energize Connecticut, a partnership of the Energy Efficiency Fund, the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority, and local electric and gas utilities, offers programs to help homes and businesses save money on energy bills. A charge on customer energy bills funds the programs.

To cut energy costs in the old buildings, some of which were build in 1910 and the 1940s, Energize Connecticut recommended that Bridgeport Hospital implement the Energy Opportunities and Operations & Maintenance Service programs. These two incentive programs help commercial and industrial customers retrofit or upgrade inefficient technologies such as lighting and lighting controls, chillers, motors, controls and HVAC equipment with more efficient alternatives.

Bridgeport Hospital installed new lighting sensors, an energy management system, variable speed drives as well as steam and radiator valves that better controls its patient and staff areas with regards to temperature response time and improved lighting.

In addition, the hospital installed one 600-horsepower boiler and one 300-horsepower boiler to replace the two aging 350-horsepower boilers from 1956 to help save on fuel costs.

Bridgeport Hospital continues to work with Energize Connecticut and UI, a regional electric distribution company, on a series of initiatives to conserve energy and study the impact of workplace-based charging stations for electric vehicles, according to the company. The hospital has installed four new electric charging stations in its employee parking garage, allowing employees to use more environmentally friendly vehicles.

The Abilene Independent School District in Texas last week said it has saved more than $500,000 in utility costs in the first nine months since it implemented an energy conservation management program.