Skip to contents
In This Issue:
A look back into BWH's digital archives revealed a Feb. 1974 Brigham Bulletin story about the Brigham confronting an energy shortage and the steps taken to alleviate its effects.
During the so-called "energy crisis" of the early 1970s, the U.S. and other countries saw a rise in energy consumption while domestic oil production declined, leaving the U.S. to rely on foreign oil. The price of oil for the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital went from $4.41 per barrel in 1971 to $12.35 in 1974. (Petroleum today costs $100 per barrel.)
A comprehensive program, outlined by the hospital's Department of Plant Services, was designed and implemented to reduce energy consumption without jeopardizing patient care and essential services.
After surveying the hospital to determine ways of reducing electric and heating consumption, staff from Engineering performed several tasks that resulted in energy savings:
More than 640 light bulbs and tubes were removed throughout the hospital, which represented $3,000 in savings each year.
Incandescent bulbs were replaced by more efficient fluorescent tubes.
Window air conditioner circuits were turned off, except in areas without access to fresh air.
"The most effective savings of energy from now on will be achieved when individuals remember to take these many measures necessary to conserve energy at the Peter Bent Brigham," according to the story.
Forty years later, BWH continues to be committed to sustainability efforts and energy efficiency, while providing a safe, comfortable environment for all patients and staff. The opening of the Shapiro Cardiovascular Center in 2008 reduced BWH's carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, amounting to nearly $33,000 in annual savings, by tailoring building operations to the occupancy and usage patterns of individual spaces. The more recent installation of LED lighting and compact fluorescent lamps, as well as variable frequency drives on many legacy air handling and pump systems, allows the hospital to capture significant energy savings during unoccupied hours or when weather conditions result in lower system loads. When the Brigham Building for the Future opens, it will have an electric co-generation plant that enables BWH to make enough electricity to power 80 percent of the electrical needs of the building and the Shapiro Center, and obtain LEED certification as a "green" building.