ENERGY STAR Labeled Building Profile

Northwest Medical Center of Washington County
609 W Maple
Springdale, AR 72765
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Triad Health Systems' Northwest Medical Center of Washington County is located in Springdale, Arkansas, one of the fastest growing cities in the country. The original facility was built in 1952 and doubled in size in 1994 to its current 537,000 sq. ft. Our campus includes acute care space and an attached medical office building that shares the hospital's chilled water, steam, and hot water.

The 1970's energy crisis forced us to look closely at energy savings as a way to cut our operating costs. Since then, sound energy management has become a part of our organizational culture. Our informal energy management team is made up of 17 facilities engineering/maintenance staff as well as representatives from service providers including Trane, Siemens, and Powers of Arkansas.

Reinforcing the importance of energy efficiency to our business, our energy management plan is rolled into our overall annual business plan. Senior management reacts very positively to energy improvement recommendations as the improvements often have a positive effect on our bottom line and, more importantly, on the comfort and satisfaction of our patients. Below are some of our recent energy efficiency upgrades:

Lighting - Replaced magnetic ballast T-12 fluorescent lights with more efficient electronic ballast T-8 lamps. We currently are in the process of replacing incandescent-lit exit signs with LED-lit ENERGY STAR-qualified models.

Fan Systems - Installed new motors with more efficient Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs).

HVAC - Converted to Direct Digital Control (DDC) in the mid-1980's. We schedule annual boiler and chiller commissioning, and conduct regular preventive maintenance for Air Handling Units (AHUs) throughout the facility. We installed a flat-plate heat exchanger for our chillers that enables them to be turned off in the winter or as needed.

Energy-efficient Products - ENERGY STAR-qualified refrigerators are used in nursing units and high efficiency windows are used to replace drafty windows.

In addition to equipment upgrades, we ensure that all of our equipment is tuned-up on a regular basis - including cleanings, equipment servicing, filter replacements, and other preventative maintenance. Service providers often hold training sessions to educate our staff about energy tracking, energy management systems, and HVAC maintenance.

In 2003, we created a Portfolio Manager account to track the energy performance of our campus. A year later, we shared our energy performance data with Triad Health Systems as part of its larger effort to benchmark the energy performance of its portfolio of buildings. We currently work with utility companies to track our energy use through Web-based programs, as well.

In 2005, Northwest Medical Center of Washington County earned the ENERGY STAR for our campus, which we will soon proudly display in the front entrance to our hospital. This makes us one of about 40 hospitals in the country to have received this prestigious designation for energy efficiency.

 

Communications:

We worked with our marketing staff to develop press releases about earning the ENERGY STAR and our accomplishments are highlighted on Northwest Health's Web site in "news and events."

Testimonial:

"At Northwest Medical Center of Washington County, sound energy management is part of our culture.  Energy management has consistently improved our patients' comfort and our bottom line. Both of these benefits reinforce Northwest Health's commitment to exceed the expectations of those we serve; attend to the needs of the whole person; and practice sound financial stewardship."

-- Bill McCully, Director of Facilities, Northwest Medical Center of Washington County

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Please note: Narrative information in this profile has been provided by Triad Hospitals, Inc or a representative of this facility. Other building information was verified and submitted to EPA at the time of application. Building energy performance, operating characteristics, and ownership/management may be subject to change over time.

Building Owner:*
Triad Hospitals, Inc

Property Manager:*
Triad Hospitals, Inc

Year(s) Labeled (Rating):
2004 (88)
2006 (83)

Facility Type: Hospital (General Medical & Surgical)

Total Floorspace: 601600 sf

Year Constructed: 1952

Contract Type: None

Technologies Used:

Stage 1-Recommissioning

Stage 2-Lighting

Stage 4-Fan Systems