Interior Health recognized for commitment to energy efficiency
By Contributor
Interior Health has won its fifth PowerSense Conservation Excellence Award from FortisBC.
“It’s easy to forget that Interior Health’s commitment to the health and well-being of residents in our region extends to supporting a healthy environment,” said Dr. Robert Halpenny, President and CEO of Interior Health.
“Awards like this help remind everyone that we’re also doing our part for a sustainable future.”
Every year FortisBC recognizes businesses and leaders in B.C. who have a commitment to energy conservation. Award recipients are acknowledged for making energy management an ongoing part of their business together with a long-term integrated energy management plan.
The awards were presented at a forum organized by FortisBC in Kelowna on October 10. At the forum, two Interior Health projects in the South Okanagan were highlighted which when combined will save 300,000 kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity and 1,556 GJ (gigajoules) of natural gas annually.
“These two projects are reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 metric tonnes – that’s the same as taking 13 cars off the road,” said Ted Spearin, energy manager at Interior Health.
At Penticton Regional Hospital, an ageing elevator required an upgrade for operational reasons.
The old technology motor and generator set used a significant amount of electricity.
Now with a modern frequency driven motor, power consumption has dropped dramatically and reliability increased. Total investment on the upgrade, completed in March 2012, was $198,225.
At South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, an investment of more than $1 million added a digital building automation system to replace outdated and aging controls.
New electronically controlled valves and high-efficiency motors allow for pumps and fans to efficiently service different areas of the hospital, providing more comfort for patients and employees.
In addition to a lighting upgrade throughout the hospital, an old atmospheric boiler was replaced with two new high-efficiency condensing boilers.
“We have a great team of people at Interior Health who are always working towards making us more efficient in our use of energy,” said Halpenny.
“In addition, we’re grateful to our employees who work around us when we’re doing energy retrofits and construction.”
Earlier this year, Interior Health won a 2012 Climate Action Secretariat Award from the Province, and last year was the first health-care organization in Western Canada to win the Energy & Environmental Stewardship Award from the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL).
