Various energy efficient and low carbon emissions technologies can be used in hospitals.
These include:
- Heat pumps
Heat pumps are energy efficient devices using low enthalpy ambient heat and electricity for heat and cooling generation. They can generate 4-6 times more heat and cooling compared with the electricity use,
- Heat and power co-generation systems
Heat and power co-generations systems can be used in hospitals for heat and power generation with various technologies (gas turbines, diesel engines, micro-turbines etc). They can cover part or all of the energy needs in hospitals while their overall efficiency is very high at around 85-90%,
- Fuel cells
Fuel cells can generate heat and power with electrochemical processes. Their overall efficiency is at around 80% and they have increasing applications in several sectors including hospitals, and
- District heating and district cooling systems
Hospitals can utilize existing district heating or cooling systems covering part or all of their heating and cooling requirements. Various energy sources are used for hot water production in district heating systems including fossil fuels, renewable energies or rejected heat from industries.
