Nursing Home Members Asked to Complete Energy Survey
The Department of Health (DOH) is collaborating with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), LeadingAge New York and our association colleagues to develop a nursing home energy efficiency program that will enable participants to save money, reduce/prevent greenhouse gas emissions, improve community air quality and support the commitment to public health. In an effort to gauge potential interest in this program, we are asking your organization to complete a brief survey available here by this Fri, Sept. 19.
Nursing home operators incur significant energy costs related to heating/cooling, lighting and powering their physical plants; EnergyStar estimates that healthcare organizations spend over $6.5 billion annually, with those costs increasing every year. The intent of this program is to identify and facilitate the completion of energy-saving projects (potentially including new lighting fixtures, oil-to-gas conversions, combined heat and power projects, etc.) that will reduce energy consumption and associated costs. Added potential benefits include enhancing resident, staff and visitor comfort; improving the reliability of heating/cooling, lighting and power systems; extending the useful life of the facility and increasing resiliency to disasters and other emergencies.
The program would initially involve conducting energy audits, identifying energy efficiency measures, developing project implementation plans and completing cost-benefit analyses. The second stage of the program would seek to identify funding and financing mechanisms to underwrite feasible energy efficiency projects.
NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. NYSERDA's FlexTech Program, which would be utilized to conduct energy studies in participating nursing homes, provides New York State health care facilities and other non-residential energy consumers with objective and customized information to help them make informed energy decisions. FlexTech helps to identify and encourage the implementation of cost-effective energy efficiency, technical evaluations, process improvement analysis, energy master plans, retro-commissioning and development of peak load curtailment plans, as well as combined heat and power projects.
In order to proceed with this worthwhile initiative, further information is needed from nursing homes on energy usage, energy efficiency evaluations and initiatives, and potential interest in participating in this program. On behalf of DOH, NYSERDA and the provider associations, thank you in advance for completing the brief survey.
Contact: Dan Heim, dheim@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866