As we continue to look for weapons to fight hospital-acquired infections (HAI), what does the standard for health care facility ventilation already contain in the way of health metrics? How would a study look if it focused on the one metric that drives so many other decisions in health care? Let’s explore.
How often has an AHU or system been reused as part of a building renovation project and/or to expand the area served by the associated unit to provide additional air conditioning or heating?
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP-Columbia) is increasing its chiller plant performance — and reaping big savings — with the use of weather forecast-based analytics.
Ultraviolet C (UV-C) technology has been used since the 1990s to eliminate microbial buildup on cooling coils, air filters, duct surfaces, and drain pans. But despite the technology’s history and track record, some facility engineers remain uncertain. On the other hand, some come around quickly.
Probably a year before 9/11, I was asked my thoughts along the lines of, “What else should we commission beyond the standard building systems?” My client was the project engineer at the Department of Defense in the Pentagon. I suggested “commission project record drawings.” I guess you could say I made up the task of commissioning record drawings, but I got my point across.
Hospitals in the U.S., already facing daunting challenges from evolving health care reimbursement models, now have another item on their to-do list: prepare for increased health care demands and weather disasters caused by climate change.
More specifically, has natural gas been overlooked? Let’s take a look at some previous habits and code language, current needs, and the advantages that a CHP system can provide for those exceedingly regulated of all environments: hospitals.