EcoMerit is proud to welcome a new member to the EcoMerit community– Beacon Hospital (Sandyford). Over the last few months EcoMerit has been working with the Beacon Hospital to devise a tailored environmental improvement plan, laying out a roadmap for developing the Beacon’s environmental sustainability journey over the next 5 years (and beyond)!
Data was gathered on the Beacon’s carbon footprint, energy, waste and water usage and key actions were identified for increasing resource efficiency in these areas. These actions included:
- A four-year project to upgrade compact fluorescent lighting to LEDs which use less energy and require less maintenance and cooling costs.
- Installation of sixty electrical sub-distribution meters to identify and measure high energy users.
- Fine tuning the air handling units and benchmarking energy usage against the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers acute hospital data.
- Developing a continuous environmental improvement plan which will include a new Emergency Department, CT scanner and Oncology Department and an increased bed capacity of 39%.
Mr. Sean Penston, Director of Facilities at Beacon Hospital, commented:
“As a High-tech, modern hospital we have intense energy requirements. By ensuring equipment is only consuming energy while in use and routinely monitoring our outputs, the environmental and financial benefits are considerable. Beacon Hospital also has some other innovative projects planned. These include recovering water from reverse osmosis units to feed cisterns, installing a photovoltaic solar array and reducing the volume and classification of clinical waste by sterilising and shredding it.”
Other projects being implemented as part of the continuous environmental improvement plan include developing a green procurement strategy, avoiding single use plastics, having extra EV charge points, installing additional bicycle storage and staff shower facilities.
In recognition of the Beacon’s commitment to environmental sustainability and resource management through the implementation of this plan, EcoMerit was pleased to award the hospital EcoMerit Certification. The Beacon joins our growing Sustainable Energy Community (registered with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) and we welcome them in joining us in our mission to turn Ireland into a world leader in Climate Action, creating a sustainable, just and equitable world for all.
The certification was presented by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. On presenting the certification, An Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Lettie McCarthy said she:
“was delighted to honour the hospital’s resource management achievements as measuring Environmental Performance is important for all organisations because of the obligation to achieve Irish and European Climate goals to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030. Promoting participation in the EcoMerit Programme is also a key action in the Council’s Climate Action Plan 2021-2026 .”
The EcoMerit Community is already in good stead to surpass the Irish and European Climate Goals the Councillor refers to, having achieved average emissions reductions of over 60% over the last 10 years. We look forward to seeing the Beacon join in this success story.
Beacon Hospital opened in October 2006, has 180 inpatient beds and eight operating theatres. It treats 140,000 patients per year, has Joint Commission International accreditation, employs 1,500 healthcare professionals, 300 consultants and is a teaching hospital for University College Dublin.
Over the 5-year certification programme EcoMerit will continue to measure and monitor the Beacon’s environmental performance, optimising and updating the improvement plan along the way to achieve maximal results both in terms of environmental indicators and cost savings, both of which are projected to be very significant. Watch this space for updates and developments!
