By implementing a completely new system for providing the hospital’s buildings with energy for heating and cooling, the Bethesda Children’s Hospital has made a conscious choice to reduce costs, save energy and decrease the hospital’s CO2 emissions.
Thanks to a € 700.000 grant from Norway, the hospital managed to install the new system within six months and while the hospital was fully operational. The completed project was celebrated with a conference in April.
Sustainable energy consumption
As a result of the complex technological solutions and the state of the art control system, based on several different energy sources (such as heat pumps and solar collectors), the hospital can mobilise the most efficient energy source at any given time, depending on seasonal needs, time of day and weather conditions. This has resulted in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable energy consumption.
"Implementing a completely new energy system is not only in the best interest of the hospital, but it also serves our common interests and contributes to reaching our common goals, as there is no denying that environmental problems arising from CO2 emissions are extensive, serious and transferable to the next generation," said the Norwegian ambassador to Hungary, Siri Ellen Sletner.
State Secretary for health policy at the Hungarian Ministry of National Resources, Miklós Szócska, took time to emphasise that the Norway Grants project is a pilot project that hopefully will work as an inspiration to other hospitals in Hungary. "Not only will the project be an inspiration to reducing the hospitals’ costs but also to make the hospitals more efficient", said Szócska.
Photo: Guri Merete Smenes, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Budapest