Bay Area Hospital, a regional medical center serving Oregon’s south coast communities, prioritizes patient care while investing in solutions to operate efficiently and manage costs.

Since 2009, the hospital has completed 15 energy-efficiency projects that are saving more than 800,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and 48,000 therms of natural gas every year—cutting $640,000 annually from the bottom line. Working with Energy Trust on these projects, Bay Area Hospital benefitted from cash incentives totaling $198,000. 

“Energy Trust has been a great partner over the years,” said Karl Delzotti, director of facilities. “They’ve opened our eyes to all we can do to save and all they can do for us.”

Energy improvements have been large and small, proving that every little bit helps. New convection ovens for the kitchen cut annual energy costs by $960. A four-story addition saved $29,700 by recovering heat from mechanical, electrical and computer systems for use in the heating system.

Recently, the hospital converted 95 percent of lighting to LEDS and installed new energy-efficient chillers that reduced maintenance costs and improved patient comfort. “These projects, particularly the lights, have really helped modernize our facility,” said Delzotti.

All those projects add up to big savings that help the hospital meet its goals. “We must do everything we can to manage costs and still provide the highest level of quality to serve our community,” said Delzotti.