Barrie's RVH could pay more than $180k extra for hydro next year

Simcoe.com
Nov. 3, 2016
By John Edwards

With a six-figure increase in its hydro bills expected for the coming year, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) continues to curb its energy usage.

Rob Purdy, operations director for facilities support services at RVH, said the hospital will see a four-to-six-per-cent increase in hydro costs, which equates to approximately $200,000.

“It adds up,” he said.

Being open 24 hours a day and with high-drawing equipment such as CT Scanner and MRIs, RVH spends millions on hydro.

“If we were to do nothing this year, we would go through about 24 million kilowatt-hours,” he said. “We have a lot of high-drawing equipment.”

However, Purdy said the hospital continues to introduce a variety of energy conversation initiatives, which he said will allow them to reduce their usage by about one million kilowatt-hours.

“We’re doing so much here,” he said.

One of the projects will see the fluorescent tube lights in the large H, hospital sign replaced with LEDs.

Purdy said the cost will be about $1,100 with PowerStream kicking in half of the money.

He said this will save about 19,000 kw/h.

“It’s going to pay itself off in less than a couple of months,” he said.

Purdy said they are installing a variable frequency drive on their cooling tower pumps. The project will cost $20,000 with PowerStream once again paying half and will see a savings of 338,000 kw/h.

“It allows us to change a motor speed, that you wouldn’t normally be able to change,” he said. “That’s going to pay for itself in a matter of weeks.”

He said his team came up with new ideas on a weekly basis to conserve and says the partnership with PowerStream has been a big help.

“They have been wonderful partners in all of the energy initiatives we’re doing,” he said.

With hydro rates set to rise across the province, RVH isn’t immune. Spokesperson Jane Cocking said not only do these programs save money but also energy conservation is good for everyone.

“We know hydro rates are going up, we have to keep the lights on here,” she said.