Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center Awarded ENERGY STAR Label

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (August 13, 2012)

Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center has been awarded the ENERGY STAR label by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Only seven hospitals in Texas have been designated as Energy Star labeled facilities and Memorial Hermann operates six of the seven facilities.

In an effort to reduce energy consumption, improve indoor air quality and create a more patient-friendly environment, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands has made extensive energy management changes on its campus, including:

  • Calibrated and optimized air conditioning and heating systems to minimize electricity usage while maintaining patient comfort
  • Installed new high-efficiency heating systems that have reduced natural gas consumption by 30 percent and virtually eliminated greenhouse gas emissions
  • Similar to residential cooling and heating units, enabled scheduling and time-of-day features on hospital air conditioning and heating systems to automatically adjust temperatures up or down when areas are not being used by patients and staff

"The improvements we've implemented not only provide a more comfortable atmosphere for our patients, they protect our environment through energy efficiency," said Patrick Shay, director of engineering services at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands.

By awarding facilities the ENERGY STAR label, the EPA recognizes facilities that meet strict energy performance standards. ENERGY STAR facilities must use less energy, be less expensive to operate, and emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions than their peers. To earn the label, facilities must be in the top 25 percent of their peers in energy efficiency according to EPA's energy performance scale. By improving efficiency, facilities can save energy and money and help fight climate change.

"Memorial Hermann is proud to participate in the Energy Star program," said Michael Hatton, Memorial Hermann system executive of engineering. "We consider excellence in energy efficiency a complement to our efforts to provide greater Houston area residents with the most advanced, innovative, and cost effective care possible."