The rising cost energy to operate air conditioning systems is a problem for hospitals everywhere. But at Rio Grande Regional Hospital, a 320-bed hospital in McAllen, Texas, administrators are happy that, even in the face of a 33% utility rate increase, their electricity bill has declined over the past two years. The hospital attributes this drop to the incorporation of UVC lights from Steril-Aire into the air handling systems.
Oscar Molano, director of plant operations for the hospital, said: "We were looking for a way to save on air conditioning energy costs without compromising air quality or patient comfort.
Working with Rio Filter Supply Company, based in Harlingen, Texas, he learned that Steril-Aire UVC devices emit germicidal UVC energy that penetrates microbes and destroys their DNA and RNA, killing or deactivating them. UVC degrades mould and organic build-up deep inside HVAC systems to keep coils continuously clean – lowering HVAC energy costs by improving heat transfer and increasing net cooling capacity.
After reviewing the benefits, Molano received approval to retrofit all 26 air-handling units (AHUs) with Steril-Aire UVC Emitters on a phased basis. Before UVC, the four 465-ton chillers serving the hospital were running at 99% capacity. Eighteen months later, after most of the AHUs were equipped with UVC, the same chillers were running at only 62% capacity. During that period, electrical usage (in kilowatt hours) declined by 20.64%. This cancelled out a utility rate increase from US$.06 per kWh to $.08 per kWh. Thus, with the addition of UVC in 2005 and 2006, electrical energy costs from 2005 to 2006 remained at a constant average of $166,900 per month.
By autumn of 2006, as Rio Grande was wrapping up the conversion to UVC, it determined that the hospital was now too cold, even with chillers running at reduced capacity. It was able to shut down two chillers completely, along with the chilled water pumps, condenser water pumps and cooling towers.
The two remaining chillers now run at 80% capacity. From January – May 2007, energy costs were down by $240,885 compared with 2006 – a 29.5% saving.
Contact
Steril-Aire, Inc
2840 N. Lima St.
Burbank
CA 91504
USA
T +1 818 565 1128
UK distributor:
E-co
Suite 24, The Lodge
Links Rd
Worthing BN14 9QY
UK
T +44 20 7193 1630
