Reconstruction and Analysis of the Energy Demand of a Healthcare Facility in Italy

Abstract

The energy demand in healthcare and hospital premises has distinctive features. Due to specific constraints in terms of service continuity and indoor air quality, the demand is at a large extent constant during the day and throughout the year. Indeed, a healthcare facility must fulfil several different activities. Medical equipment needs electric energy, while the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems require thermal energy. It is extremely difficult to define reference characteristics for the energy demand, since the proportions of the different consumptions are strongly connected with the specific activities/services carried out within each structure. The present work aims at analysing the energy demand of a healthcare facility located near Firenze (Italy). The energy demand has been analysed by means of the available documentation to get a basic knowledge of the expected consumption of each component of the facility. These data have been then correlated with information on the actual healthcare activity parameters (e.g. staff in service, medical services) and on weather conditions. As a result, the study led to the definition of the principal energy drivers that characterize the Healthcare Facility. The analysis procedure is thought of general interest for the community working in the field, representing a benchmark for the calibration of energy digital twins and a reference data set useful to carry out building energy efficiency optimization strategies.