CMH celebrates Energy Conservation Week with ‘go live’ event of 3 solar walls

May 21, 2009

 

Cambridge, ON (May 21, 2009) – To celebrate Energy Conservation Week in Ontario, Cambridge Memorial Hospital flipped the switch today on its three new solar walls.

As part of an energy saving and facility renewal program in partnership with Honeywell, the solar walls on the exterior of the building will significantly lessen energy costs and reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint. With financial support from the Government of Canada, matched by the Province through the Ontario Solar Thermal Heating Incentive, it is the largest hospital project of its kind in the world and one of the largest solar projects of the past year in Canada.

“The financial support of our government partners was critical to the decision to modernize Cambridge Memorial Hospital using the latest in environmental technologies,” President and Chief Executive Officer Julia Dumanian told a morning crowd gathered on the grounds of CMH. With the five-storey solar wall in the background, Ms. Dumanian said the hospital’s green initiative will result in CO2 displacement of approximately 200 tons each and every year.

The innovative CMH project really hits home for local MP Gary Goodyear, also the federal Minister of State for Science and Technology.

“This project speaks to public-private partnerships for a greener Canada and is a sign to all Canadians that we all have a role to play when it comes to energy conservation and protecting our environment. As the Member of Parliament for Cambridge-North Dumfries, I am pleased that our government has contributed $165,000 to this project,” said Minister Goodyear. “These new solar walls will help the Cambridge Memorial Hospital conserve energy and protect the environment.”

Peter Love, Ontario’s Chief Energy Conservation Officer, was all smiles looking up at the brown-coloured SolarWall®. “How great it is to be standing in front of the world’s largest hospital Solar Wall system, especially during Energy Conservation Week. It proves that there are very large – as well as very small – things you can do to conserve energy. I urge everyone to visit www.energyconservationweek.com and take the Count Me In Pledge.”

For Honeywell, the installation of the three solar walls is part of its overall program with Cambridge Memorial Hospital to renew some of the infrastructure and reduce energy costs. Energy efficient technologies will replace older, less efficient systems, thereby reducing electricity and fuel consumption and related costs. Other upgrades include the following:

• Energy management system to provide improved control of building systems;
• New lighting that will reduce energy consumption while providing better illumination;
• Various heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades;
• Weather sealing to reduce heating and cooling losses.

“We are committed to helping Cambridge Memorial Hospital take a proactive approach to energy conservation,” said Luis Rodrigues, Vice President of Energy Solutions for Honeywell Building Solutions. “Through an energy saving and facility renewal program, the hospital is evolving to a more energy conscious facility.”

In 2008, when Cambridge Memorial Hospital celebrated its teaching affiliation with McMaster University’s School of Medicine, Ms. Dumanian said the partnership was about the future – providing student learners with a real-life environment. She reflected on those comments again today, when she spoke about how the hospital’s future continues to evolve, and where the “environment” means so much more than one’s commitment to the workplace.

“Today is all about sustainability and our collective roles as environmental stewards in society,” she said, noting energy savings at Cambridge Memorial Hospital have a direct impact on operating costs and service delivery.

“We have many reasons to celebrate today,” she said, “and to continue working with others on solutions that build economically viable and sustainable communities.”

 

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