Glens Falls Hospital has renewed a contract to buy green power from Renewable Choice Energy of Boulder, Colo., to offset 50 percent of its electricity consumption at its acute care hospital campus and 26 regional health care facilities for each of the next three years.
Renewable Choice Energy officials said 2014 marks the third consecutive year that the hospital has worked with Renewable Choice to offset its operations and reduce its carbon footprint.
Through the partnership, the hospital has purchased a total of nearly 30,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy credits (RECs) from Renewable Choice to be used from 2014-2016. This is a sizable purchase, equivalent to offsetting 33,540,339 pounds of carbon dioxide, or planting nearly 400,000 trees and growing them for 10 years, officials said.
RECs are the way that green power is tracked and traded in North America and are used by thousands of U.S. and Canadian organizations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to decrease environmental impact, according to Renewable Choice Energy. The RECs purchased by the hospital are certified by Green-e Energy, the nation’s leading certification program for renewable energy.
“We remain committed to our environment and finding ways we can make an impact,” said Ron Zimmerman, vice president, support services and plant operations at Glens Falls Hospital. “We are proud to be one of the only health care systems in the nation to hold Leadership Club status in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partners program.”
He said the hospital’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond the purchase of RECs. In 2012, it became a leader in the industry by introducing a solar thermal system that reduced fuel consumption from water heating by 45 percent in its Dialysis Center.
The hospital is also a participant in the Energy Efficiency for Health initiative, launched in 2010 by National Grid and NYSERDA. The initiative has saved approximately 2.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 189,000 therms of natural gas annually, a total monetary savings of $300,000.
Most recently, the hospital partnered with National Grid on establishing two electric car charging stations – providing free charging for those who choose to conserve fuel through driving “smart cars”.
Activities focused on recycling and resource conservation are also coordinated year-round under the guidance of the Green Team – leaders who advocate and work with employees on ensuring sustainability initiatives occur throughout the organization, hospital officials said. The team’s mission is to “think globally and act locally”, encouraging involvement through goals aimed at reducing and diverting waste – as well as reduced energy consumption.
“We are honored to renew our partnership with Glens Falls Hospital for another three years,” said Stephen Beam, director of business development at Renewable Choice. “As a leading provider of quality care and sustainable practices in healthcare, their commitment to green power is commendable.”
Colorado-based Renewable Choice Energy is a global provider green power, carbon offsets, sustainability consulting, and renewable energy advisory services and is recognized as a trusted partner to numerous major brands. Recipient of the Green Power Supplier of the Year award in 2012 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it is a certified B Corporation. To learn more, visit www.renewablechoice.com.
Glens Falls Hospital is a comprehensive integrated system of primary care, specialty care and hospital services, serving a six-county region of the southern Adirondacks. It has 2,600 employees, more than 300 providers, and 27 regional health service locations.