Health Care HVAC

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The Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX, comprises over 5 million sq ft and includes a central utility plant, steam production, and CHP capable of producing 14,800 tons of chilled water capacity.

Day-to-day operations and the occasional renovation create two sets of distinct threats to IAQ and patient health. From monitoring stations and magnehelic pressure gauges to multiple resources for design and O&M guidance, the author points to recent projects and current wisdom to create a valuable resource.

The special nature of the occupants and activities in these facilities create special IAQ requirements, and the concerns only multiply when fire and smoke enters the picture. See how current codes and designs employ a combination of active and passive strategies, building on past approaches to minimize future incidents.

In the spring of 2011, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville needed to update its HVAC equipment. However, the work needed to be achieved under a very tight deadline.

Today, many state institutions of higher learning and healthcare facilities face reduced budgets, aging infrastructure, and rising energy costs. According to the EPA, colleges and universities spend close to $2 billion each year on energy. These institutions are seeking innovative ways to renew facilities, improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy costs. One option gaining some renewed momentum is the Energy Savings Performance Contract (EPSC).

A multi-function health services facility in Springfield, MO is a showcase for sophisticated air quality management. The Turner Center is a unit of the CoxHealth system and is part of the Cox South health care campus in south Springfield.

“Quality of care” is more than just a phrase at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital (CRMH), one of the largest hospitals in Virginia. CRMH defines quality of care using six characteristics: excellence in care, patient safety, clinical outcome, technology advances, accessibility, and patient experience.

Done right, going modular can be a good fit for hospitals in search of efficiency. From design to specification to pre-shipment, the process demands engineering attention to the right details at the right times. Get a designer’s notes from experience and learn how to take advantage of what a modular central plant can offer.

Sometimes, what seems like a need for more cooling capacity could be the need to take a hard look and fine-tune the existing chiller plant. With a hospital expansion coming up, the team on this UMass Memorial Health Care project avoided adding up to 120 tons of capacity with tactics that included attacking inefficiencies in piping, valves, cooling towers, and controls.