Simplifying the path to a low carbon future for healthcare

Combating climate change together

 As one of the largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions, the healthcare industry is uniting against climate change.  Healthcare energy infrastructure systems are working harder and smarter to accelerate decarbonization. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take the next step toward a low carbon future, there are many strategies you can put into place today that will help you simplify the journey toward a more sustainable future.

Decarbonization resources

Broadcast: Simplifying the journey to healthcare sustainability and decarbonization

Article: Reducing carbon emissions in healthcare applications

News release: Energizing new University of Michigan hospital

Energy flows through the grid in more directions and through more devices than ever before. Through the Energy Transition, electrification and digitalization are presenting vast opportunities to not only reduce emissions but also costs.  And the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is helping healthcare organizations make these clean energy projects financially feasible. The IRA supports approximately $370 billion in climate and energy proposals, including tax credits for clean energy technologies such as solar, energy storage, and microgrid controllers. These trends offer a critical starting point for the healthcare industry to address the harmful impacts of climate change.  

So how do you begin your journey to reduce your carbon footprint, while better managing energy costs and strengthening energy resilience?

Digitalize to optimize power usage

The first step on the path to decarbonization

Starting a decarbonization project doesn’t require you to completely reimagine essential energy systems. The best way to start reducing the emissions of your energy system is to optimize your energy usage, simply using power more efficiently. And the key to using power more effectively hinges on digital technologies; these are the connected devices, data models and analytics that help transform power management by providing the actionable insights needed to prioritize improvements – and they play a major role in sustainability and decarbonization.  For example, Eaton's Energy Management Systems (EMS) can provide insights for informed decision making to fine-tune energy use and help you achieve efficiency and sustainability goals. It can also optimize assets to control energy consumption, improving financial and carbon reduction outcomes.  Additionally, digital technologies can help:

• Cut energy costs even as energy needs increase
• Analyze load management and capacity with digitalization tools
• Use predictive analytics to streamline preventive maintenance

Electrify to reduce carbon emissions

Improve your energy strategy with electrification of major building systems

Once you’ve identified opportunities to optimize power usage, the next step on the path to decarbonization is the electrification of major building systems. If heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) or central utility systems are approaching the end of their life, it’s good to question if these can be replaced with low-carbon electrified alternatives. It is also important to understand electrified alternatives when looking at your deferred maintenance or facilities condition assessment path. Can you start electrifying fleets or adding electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for patients and personnel?

• Create energy systems that do more for sustainability, reliability and the bottom line
• Support reliable emergency power at a fraction of the cost and environmental impact.

Add renewables to meet sustainability goals and improve resilience

Maximize the potential of renewable power

The energy transition aims to reduce carbon emissions by replacing carbon-based fuels with renewable energy sources, enforcing clean air regulations. This transition not only benefits the planet but also allows healthcare facilities to develop more sustainable and reliable energy systems, positively impacting their financial performance.

With advances in microgrids, solar, EV charging, energy storage and digitalization, power can now flow bi-directionally, to and from the grid. Eaton’s Buildings as Grid approach creates energy hubs to take advantage of this new power paradigm, better manage existing electrical infrastructure and prepare for future energy requirements. 

• Avoid power outages with local power generation and energy storage
• Intelligently optimize energy consumption and avoid peak demand 
  

Leverage $370 billion in climate and energy funding opportunity

With the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), there are unprecedented opportunities—through direct funds, grants, tax credits, tax incentives and rebates—for your healthcare organization to maximize the return on investment when modernizing critical infrastructure or completing clean energy projects.

The IRA will support approximately $370 billion in climate and energy proposals including energy tax credits for Distributed Energy Resources (wind, solar, energy storage, microgrids and hydropower), hydrogen and nuclear. 

Additionally, the bill modifies and expands the electric vehicle (EV) and EV charging infrastructure (EVCI) tax credits.