The Building Technologies Office conducted a healthcare energy end-use monitoring project in partnership with two hospitals. Additional plug load data from medical office buildings were provided by Mazzetti, Inc. Here are a few highlights from monitoring large medical imaging equipment and medical office building plug loads.
Opportunities to Improve Idle Mode Energy Use and Transitions Between Modes
The variability in the medical imaging equipment load profiles (see examples at left) and the nighttime power consumption of some medical office building plug loads suggest an opportunity to improve “idle” mode energy efficiency and built-in controls for transitions between operational modes. For example, when medical devices remain at full power in a medical office building during non-business hours, such devices should be assessed more carefully to determine which ones can be powered down. Another approach is to design controls that can reduce idle power while ensuring fast response and emergency readiness.
Data Available in the Building Component Library
Time-series data for medical devices can be found at https://bcl.nrel.gov/nrel/types/component. Filter by “MEL” and “Medical.”
Read the full report, Healthcare Energy End-Use Monitoring, for more information.