Sustainability in healthcare facilities often focus heavily on design and construction practices. This emphasis is understandable, given the opportunity to create a facility from the ground up that minimizes its impact on the environment. But as facility managers in existing facilities know all too well, aging structures offer a host of opportunities for greener operations.
Consider the Healthcare Energy and Water Efficiency Checklist recently released by Practice Greenhealth. The resource includes nearly 50 no- and low-cost opportunities for energy and water savings, tailored specifically to existing healthcare facilities. Organized by category – from lighting and HVAC to water and general maintenance – the checklist is designed to help healthcare facilities managers and other sustainability professionals communicate, collaborate and act while showcasing successes to hospital executives, building momentum and adding custom project ideas as sustainability efforts grow.
Managers can use the checklist as a starting point to create shared wins, build alignment between teams and reinvest savings into bigger sustainability goals. The checklist is designed to help managers:
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.?
