Private Hospital Energy Performance Benchmarking Using Energy Audit Data: An Italian Case Study

The increased focus on energy efficiency, both at the national and international levels, has fostered the diffusion and development of specific energy consumption benchmarks for most relevant economic sectors. In this context, energy-intensive facilities, such as hospitals and health structures, rep...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energies (Basel) 2022-02, Vol.15 (3), p.806
Main Authors: Dadi, Daniele, Introna, Vito, Santolamazza, Annalisa, Salvio, Marcello, Martini, Chiara, Pastura, Tiberio, Martini, Fabrizio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air conditioning
Audits
Benchmarks
Data collection
Datasets
Economic development
Economic sectors
Electricity
energy audit
Energy audits
Energy consumption
Energy efficiency
EnPIs
Environmental protection
Health care
Health facilities
health sector
Indicators
Methodology
New technology
Sustainable development
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Summary:The increased focus on energy efficiency, both at the national and international levels, has fostered the diffusion and development of specific energy consumption benchmarks for most relevant economic sectors. In this context, energy-intensive facilities, such as hospitals and health structures, represent a unique case. Indeed, despite the high energy consumption of these structures, scientific literature lacks the presence of adequate energy performance benchmarks, especially in regard to the European context. Thus, this study aimed at defining energy benchmark indicators for the Italian private healthcare sector using data collected from the Italian mandatory energy audits according to Art.8 EU Directive 27/2012. The benchmark indicators’ definition was made using a methodology proposed by the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). This methodology provided the calculation of specific energy performance indicators (EnPIs) by considering the global energy consumption of the different sites and the sector’s relevant variables. The results obtained were compared with those obtained from a consolidated but more complex methodology: the one envisaged by the Environmental Protection Agency. The results obtained allowed us to validate the reliability of the proposed methodology, as well as the validity and future usability of the calculated indicators. Relying on a significant database containing actual data from recent energy audits, this study was thus able to provide an up-to-date and reliable benchmark for the private healthcare sector.
ISSN:1996-1073
1996-1073
DOI:10.3390/en15030806