H E A L T H I N S I G H T S
The healthcare industry is a significantly energy-intensive sector. In total, it is responsible for up to 8 % of global energy consumption, caused by emitting large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. As such, the industry has a responsibility to accelerate decarbonisation and the energy choices of hospitals and healthcare systems can and will have a great impact on the environment and the bottom line.
With smart energy choices for the industry having a sizeable impact on global efforts to reach Net Zero, ultimately saving energy costs, healthcare industry stakeholders need to prioritise adopting energy-efficient technology today, not just for the environment, but the health and safety of patients.
Leading the clean energy transition
There is a real opportunity for the healthcare industry to spearhead change and lead the way for the clean energy transition. One of the most pressing matters is the decarbonisation of buildings, which account for 40 % of greenhouse emissions in the EU. At current speeds, this will take around a century – almost four times too slow for the 2050 cut-off. In the medical industry, buildings like hospitals and medical centres contribute significantly to these figures. In the UK alone, National Health Service( NHS) providers produce approximately 156,000 tonnes of clinical waste that is either sent to high-temperature incineration( HTI) or for alternative treatment( AT), which is equivalent to over 400 loaded jumbo jets of waste.
Matteo Crespi, Senior Vice President, Power Products Europe Hub at Schneider Electric, explores how the healthcare sector can drive the clean energy transition by adopting digitalisation, electrification and sustainability initiatives to reduce emissions and improve efficiency.
Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency has predicted that low-emissions energy sources can cover almost all the growth in global electricity demand in the next three years. However, a lot of renewables presently produced go to waste. This is because current energy grids don’ t have the capacity to flow all the power produced. Grid capacity must be improved and power networks accelerated. The EU still spends € 1 billion a day on importing energy, even though simplifying permitting regulations, shortening licensing times and increasing investment into new generation could drastically lower this cost.
Healthcare businesses across Europe can play a huge role in this transition and in turn, glean the benefits of digitalisation and electrification. In fact, I
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE IN THE ENERGY LANDSCAPE FOR THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR
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