Efficient heating and cooling’s Net Zero role

The design and operation of buildings impact the cost of care, resiliency, sustainability, public perception, and — most importantly — patient outcomes. With this in mind, healthcare facilities — perhaps more than any other type of building due to their societal role — should aim to implement the most efficient and sustainable cooling and heating systems. By doing this they will also work towards maximising the efficiencies and the potential of their building.

Innovation in heating and cooling offers hospitals a wide array of mechanisms to decarbonise their buildings while reducing operating costs. These range from large heat pumps for building temperature control, and close temperature control chillers for medical equipment and hospital server rooms, to air-handling units (AHUs) — integral components of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems that regulate indoor air quality, temperature, and humidity. AHUs can play a major role in decarbonising hospitals by adopting sustainable practices, technologies, and materials — such as variable frequency drives (VFDs), high grade filters, and heat recovery devices, which significantly improve energy efficiency. On top of that, innovative heat pump systems enable the electrification of heating and the repurposing of wasted thermal energy, aiding the transition from fossil fuels, and helping to meet ambitious sustainability targets.

It is evident that hospitals and healthcare facilities all over the world are eager to change, but they require guidance on what is possible and how to achieve it. Accelerating and scaling the use of combined heating and cooling, advancing system-level efficiency, utilising renewable energy sources, leveraging waste heat recovery technology, and transitioning to next-generation low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, are some of the most impactful areas of focus.