EPA Recognizes Medical Centers and Universities for Emissions Reductions and Energy Savings

EPA News Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 20, 2013

EPA Recognizes Medical Centers and Universities for Emissions Reductions and Energy Savings

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized five facilities with the Energy Star Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Award for their efforts to reduce emissions that threaten public health while increasing energy reliability and efficiency.

“Our Energy Star CHP award winners are better serving their students and patients while safeguarding the environment,” said Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. “These institutions are protecting their critical operations from power outages and our climate from harmful carbon pollution with more reliable and more efficient CHP systems.”

CHP, also known as cogeneration, simultaneously produces electricity and useful heat from a single energy source (e.g. natural gas). CHP ensures the award-winning hospitals and universities can continue to operate in the event of a power outage.

Award winners include:

• Medical Area Total Energy Plant, LP, Boston, Mass.
• Montefiore Medical Center, New York, N.Y.
• New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, N.Y.
• New York University, New York, N.Y.
• Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

The five winning CHP systems achieved operating efficiencies ranging from 69 to 75 percent, much higher than the efficiency of separate production of electricity and thermal energy, which can be less than 50 percent. The medical centers’ and universities’ increase in operating efficiency not only reduces their energy costs but prevents carbon pollution equal to the emissions from the electricity used by more than 33,000 homes. New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and New York University have each reported annual savings of approximately $5 million while Texas A&M University reported savings of nearly $150 million in the last 10 years.

Today’s awards reflect the ongoing commitment President Obama highlighted in his State of the Union address to partner with businesses and communities to encourage investments in clean energy and infrastructure. These partnerships will help grow the U.S. economy.

By using CHP, the winners are able to operate independently from the grid during power supply disruptions, such as those from weather-related events. CHP’s benefits for universities include uninterrupted electricity, heat, and cooling for dormitories and classrooms, and protection of data centers and research activities that are vulnerable to losses of air conditioning and electricity. With CHP systems, hospitals ensure that patient care can continue uninterrupted, and that vital assets such as medical research facilities, diagnostic laboratories, and pharmaceutical supplies are safeguarded.

These awards are being presented at the International District Energy Association’s Annual Campus Energy Conference in San Diego, Calif.

Established in 2001, EPA's voluntary CHP Partnership program seeks to reduce the environmental impact of power generation by promoting the use of cost-effective CHP. The partnership works closely with energy users, the CHP industry, state and local governments, and other clean energy stakeholders to facilitate the development of new CHP projects and to promote their environmental and economic benefits. Since the program's inception, the CHP Partnership has prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to that from the generation of the electricity used by more than 17 million homes in a year.

More on the Combined Heat and Power Partnership: http://epa.gov/chp/

More on the awards: http://epa.gov/chp/partnership/current_winners.html

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