JOURNEY TO NET-ZERO Working toward the low-carbon heating plant By Ian Jarvis
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ith governments across North America declaring climate emergencies, achieving netzero within 30 years is becoming a common goal and commitment. Meeting such low-carbon targets requires deep reductions in energy and emissions, far beyond what is being achieved with current approaches. The transition to the low-carbon future will drive fundamental changes in society and the economy. Nowhere will the effects be felt more than in healthcare. The biggest changes in hospitals will come in the power plant, with a shift away from steam to hot water and a new focus on comprehensive heat recovery. Recently opened hospitals in Ontario provide insight and direction on where the 21st century low-carbon heating plant is headed. Toronto’s Humber River Hospital features heat recovery chillers and hot 26 CANADIAN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
water boilers. Only a small steam plant is used to process loads and for humidif ication. Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness has an extensive geothermal installation that draws heat from the ground to further offset natural gas consumption. Both of these facilities operate at less than half the gas use intensity of the best of their peers with traditional, steam-centred heating plants. The challenge for hospitals is how to transition from their existing plant configuration to this low-carbon future. It is not economically feasible to simply rip out a functioning plant and replace it with a well-integrated new system. The Greening Health Care program has embarked on a ‘practical pathways’ applied research initiative with a number of member hospitals and industry leaders aimed at developing and demonstrating
the transition and, at least, life cycle cost. This work will be featured at the annual sustainability forum, Greening Health Care, to be held June 10-11, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Headwaters Health Care Centre is among 60 hospitals taking part in this program. The healthcare facility’s low-carbon design brief and financial model will be showcased at the forum, which will take place alongside the inaugural Real Estate Management Industry (REMI) Summit whose goal is to deliver critical insight into the real issues commercial building owners and facility managers face today. PATHWAY TO SAVINGS
While every heating plant is different in terms of age, condition and configuration, the core principles of the ‘practical pathways’ roadmap are the same.
