Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center (SWRMC) and Damuth Trane received an Energy Efficiency Leadership Award at the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council (VAEEC) annual conference on November 2, 2017 in Richmond, VA. “The winning entries are proof that energy efficiency has tremendous potential to drive economic growth, create jobs, shrink utility bills, conserve natural resources and reduce pollution,” said Chelsea Harnish, VAEEC Executive Director. “We’re excited to be recognized for the significant building energy savings our team delivered to Sentara. High efficiency equipment and modern DDC controls are not enough. It took experience and insight into how complex building systems interact with each other to uncover the savings,” commented Roger Shull, Damuth Trane Director of Energy Business Development.
About the Project Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center (SWRMC), a Certified Primary Stroke Center, has 145 licensed beds and features the latest healthcare technologies. In 2015, the hospital partnered with Damuth Trane, a Professional Energy Services company headquartered in Chesapeake, VA, to perform a building energy tune-up that optimized operation of existing facility systems. Advanced building data collection methods, energy analytics, utility bill analysis and a detailed engineering review uncovered substantial efficiency improvement opportunities. Damuth Trane collaborated with SWRMC staff to implement energy conservation measures to building HVAC and control systems. The project was justified and funded through utility cost avoidance in the operational budget. In August 2017, SWRMC reported a 24% reduction in annual building energy consumption, equating to $647,267 in total avoided utility costs, making the project cash-flow positive within the first year. Continuous data collection, automated analytics, web based reporting tools and remote monitoring were instituted to sustain the efficiency gains. Savings calculations are IPMVP® and ASHRAE 14 compliant and were reviewed for accuracy by a licensed Professional Engineer. Damuth believes this program is repeatable at similar healthcare facilities. For more information about the VAEEC awards, visit http://vaeec.org/events/awards/.