Conserving Resources

Current events, such as the BP Oil Gulf Coast Disaster and the LG Chemical Groundbreaking Ceremony, cause us to think of energy usage.

Saint Mary’s Health Care is leading the pack for reducing energy.

Saint Mary’s was one of a handful of local businesses selected for a pilot program sponsored by Consumers Energy, called the Existing Building Commissioning Program.

 What is Consumers Energy’s incentive for such a study?

“If facilities don’t start decreasing their energy usage, Consumers Energy and other energy companies will have to invest in more infrastructure to meet the need. This will cost them a lot more than reduction in the long run,” says Adam Rogalla, Plant Operations director at Saint Mary’s Health Care.

Consumers Energy writes in a letter to Saint Mary’s, “Commissioning has been identified as the most cost effective means of:

• reducing energy costs,
• increasing equipment life, and
• improving occupant comfort for large commercial facilities.”

How does Saint Mary’s benefit?

“Although we have the newer, LEED-certified™ buildings, like the Hauenstein Center and The Lacks Cancer Center, some parts of our older infrastructure needed some improvement,” Rogalla continued. “With the help of this study, we can focus on where we can make the most impact.”



Within the past few weeks, engineers visited Saint Mary’s campus and evaluated areas of potential energy reduction. The experts inspected items such as air handler systems and controls, and developed proposals for improvement that they submitted to Saint Mary’s.

“Saint Mary’s is focusing on where we can get the best or the fastest return on investment,” said Rogalla. “Many proposals are so effective that they will pay us back within a year of our initial investment.”

Even before the study with Consumers Energy, Saint Mary’s Plant Operations has always participated in rebate programs. Over the past year, Rogalla was able to list half a dozen items that have been replaced, including:

• the lighting ballasts;
• energy-efficient light bulbs in the Main Café, HIM, Pathology and Pharmacy; and
• occupancy sensors in many different zones.

Of course, we all can contribute to energy reduction - by powering off computers and our lights in our offices when we leave for the evening. (If you can, as some of our work areas are designed to be 24/7.)


Look for easy ways to save energy at your home, courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens!



How do your fellow associates save energy at home or at work? Find out in Heard in the Halls!