Value Delivered
We offered design-assist services to Central Florida Health Alliance (CFH) which helped improve constructability and serviceability, and ensure maximum cost-effectiveness and efficiency.
Based on our review of CFH’s plans for The Villages Regional Hospital central energy plant, we reconfigured the design and orientation of the plant to decrease materials and increase access to equipment.
We pinpointed ways to maximize life cycle savings through equipment selection and the sequence of operations. We also advocated better chillers to help increase operating efficiency at different load conditions.
Our fuel cost analysis found that a natural gas steam generator was more cost-effective than electric. Reclamation of hot water condensate from the sterilizers offered additional cost savings.
The energy savings alone are projected to save the hospital $2.7 million over the 20-year life cycle of the systems.
Client Objectives
The Villages Regional Hospital sought to expand their facilities to meet the needs of the growing community. Their new five-story tower adds operating rooms, treatment rooms, inpatient and surgical beds, and a new intensive care unit; and doubles the size of the emergency department.
With this sizeable expansion to the hospital, the central energy plant needed to be redesigned.
Solutions
Working with both the client and consulting engineer, we provided vital consultation to optimize plant efficiency. Based on our review of CFH’s plans, we:
- Reconfigured the design and orientation of the plant to decrease materials and increase access to equipment for improved serviceability
- Advocated the use of high-efficiency, magnetic-bearing chillers
- Selected a natural gas steam generator that was more cost-effective than electric
- Recommended reclamation of hot water condensate from sterilizers to decrease waste and increase efficiency
- Detailed a functional sequence of operations for their five chillers, six boilers, and two steam generators, to ensure optimal plant efficiency
Client Background
UF Health Central Florida, formerly known as Central Florida Health Alliance, is an award-winning not-for-profit health care system and the largest, most comprehensive provider of health care services in the central Florida region.