Natural Gas Saving And Emissions Decrease In Public Health Care Sector – A Case Study

Abstract

A study on natural gas saving and emissions decrease in the public health care sector is presented. The analyzed hospital complex belongs to the largest ones in Slovakia and uses both hot water and water steam for heating purposes. Visual steam system inspection revealed serious inefficiencies, including steam venting, missing pipelines insulation and obsolete steam sources with dysfunctional blow-down system. Defined experiment with stepwise steam appliances shutdown enabled quantification of excess natural gas consumption due to these inefficiencies. Measures proposed for the solution of this state are inexpensive, with a short payback period. The expected natural gas savings amount up to 3200 MWh/year, which represents roughly 50% of the total natural gas consumption in the hospital complex.