Comprehensive commissioning program earns Northwell Health recognition for major carbon and cost reductions

Since its inception, Northwell Health has been on a mission to improve the health of the communities it serves. As the largest integrated health system in New York State with 23 hospitals and more than 800 outpatient facilities across New York City, Long Island and Westchester County, the not-for-profit aims to promote community health and advocacy through continuous engagement, grassroots support, and strategic partnerships.

In 2018, Northwell was awarded the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Prize for its exemplary achievements in improving and preserving access to care, addressing the social determinants of health, and encouraging innovation. Northwell was the first health care system to win this award.

This standard of excellence can be seen across every facet of the Northwell network, including energy.

Northwell recently received the 2021 Building Commissioning Excellence Award for Existing Buildings at the Building Commissioning Association’s (BCxA) Annual Conference in Toronto. The award recognizes the results of a comprehensive plan to reduce Northwell Health’s energy consumption by five percent across its facilities portfolio.

Driven by an annual goal around energy conservation, Northwell partnered with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Edison Energy to employ strategies that included retro-commissioning, LED lighting upgrades, steam system analysis, efficient equipment selection for new construction projects, improved building operations, and procurement initiatives.

Within the first two years of the program, the completed projects have eliminated over 20,000 tons of carbon emissions and reduced annual operating costs by over $10M. This level of success can be attributed to Northwell’s commitment to achieving their energy goals and the collaboration of dedicated individuals.

The program also identified process improvements. Funding obstacles were overcome through the creation of spreadsheet tools, with the guidance of interdepartmental teams. A detailed cost-tracking process was also developed to fund programs and initiatives, reconciling different rebate and incentive programs. Lastly, a design standard was developed by the team to ensure projects moving forward meet established energy criteria.

These improvements have led to measurable benefits, further establishing a positive energy culture at Northwell.

According to the BCxA, the program exemplified and demonstrated the core tenets and value of BCxA Essential Attributes and the value of commissioning to this critical market sector. At the completion of this initial program, Northwell’s carbon footprint will be reduced by 5% and save over 10,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Northwell’s commitment to its patients and the community was recently brought to the forefront, when its staff was honored with Multiplying Good’s One in a Million Award in recognition of the care they provided during the Covid-19 pandemic. Northwell’s frontline staff cared for more COVID-19 patients than any other U.S. health system, from emergency medical technicians who manned the ambulances to phlebotomists deployed to drive-thru testing sites and caregivers at hospitals.

Edison is proud to partner with Northwell as it continues its tradition of excellence to drive positive change in the communities it serves.

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