Solar farm coming to Health City
(CNS Business): Health City Cayman Islands is going green with the first ever 1.2 megawatt solar farm for a Caribbean hospital. Hospital officials said the solar farm will be one of the largest non-utility systems in the Caribbean and continues Health City’s commitment to utilising renewable energy technologies.
As for how it will work, the solar farm will use cutting edge technology to integrate a photovoltaic energy storage system with the existing heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment. The solar farm will reduce overall energy consumption at the facility by 40 per cent, HCCI officials said.
The new technology will be installed in collaboration with a local Cayman firm and is anticipated to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Health City officials explained the hospital was built with sustainability in mind. Further sustainable design elements include a segregated HVAC system defined by clinical use areas, and installation of high-efficiency equipment. The equipment is also integrated into a fully automated building management system that can track all aspects of energy and resource consumption.
A two-phase commissioning program was put into effect, which ensures building systems are functioning properly and at the highest efficiency possible. Officials explained that in most hospital a typical HVAC systems account for 70 per cent of total energy consumption in a climate such as the Cayman Islands, and the design of Health City HVAC system has been built to reduce the energy consumption by 30 per cent to date.
Ryan Smith, Director of Health City’s Facilities Management, said the tertiary care hospital is quickly becoming an industry leader in sustainability.
“The integration of energy-reducing and resource conservation systems at Health City, including a recycling program, onsite medical waste management, future sea water district cooling system, rain water harvesting, and the forthcoming installation of the solar farm, have all contributed to the goal of creating a facility that is accountable, and utilises sustainability practices to further contain costs while protecting our environment,” Smith said.
Project Director Gene Thompson added, “We are pleased with the implementation and results of our conservation policies and systems. All initiatives have been extremely positive economically as well as good for the environment and community.”
Category: Alternative Energy, Medical Tourism, Technology, Tourism
Health City gets solar energy, and many locals would like to have the same but its threatened with some bizzar logic of rising costs due to CUC investment in its fuel generating infrastructure.
After reading this, there is even more reason for me adding a few solar panels to my roof. It’s no longer a thought. It’s a done deal.
Solar energy is the way forward.
Well done Health City!