Bronson Battle Creek Receives Recognition for Energy Conservation

For the fourth year in a row, Bronson Battle Creek  has received Energy Star certification from the Environmental Protection Agency for successful energy conservation.

Bronson Battle Creek's (BBC) Energy Star rating is 96 out of 100 – an improvement of three points since last year. This translates to approximately $700,000 dollars in energy savings when compared to the average healthcare facility of comparable size. Of the 75 Energy Star certified healthcare organizations across the U.S., BBC ranks first in the state and eighth in the country.

“At Bronson Battle Creek, we’re committed to advancing the health of our communities,” explains Robert Chaplin, facilities manager at Bronson Battle Creek. “One way we create a healthier, more sustainable community is by reducing waste and improving efficiencies in the way our facilities operate. Not only does this help reduce our environmental impact, but it also allows us to save money. These savings can be invested back into the organization so we can provide additional healthcare services and programs to the southwest Michigan community.”

BBC began focusing initiatives on environmental sustainability over a decade ago, while functioning as Battle Creek Health System.

• In 2008, the hospital reached a 15 percent reduction in energy and received the Energy Efficiency Commitment Award from the American Society for Healthcare Engineering. Since then, the organization has continued to reduce energy usage, leading to a decrease in facility costs and reducing environmental effects on the Battle Creek community.
• In 2010, BBC redesigned the hospital’s exhaust stacks and boiler system. This resulted in a 25 percent improvement in boiler efficiencies.
• Since 2015, the hospital replaced all exterior lighting to LED technology. This resulted in an approximate 75 percent increase in efficiency compared to the old lighting.
• The hospital has installed new, state-of-the-art clinical vacuum systems, re-engineered the outpatient building cooling system, and installed a new compressed control air system.
• The hospital also recently completed projects with both SEMCO Energy and Consumers Energy, which resulted in a significant reduction in energy use.

“Receiving Energy Star certification for the fourth year in a row validates the hard work we have been putting toward reducing our environmental footprint,” explains Mark Allen, facilities supervisor at Bronson Battle Creek. “There is still a lot to be done in order to become as efficient as possible and build a healthier, more sustainable community. We will continue to make improvements that will positively impact our patients, employees and community.”

Bronson Battle Creek also focuses on sustainability through local food sourcing, smarter purchasing and wasting less. In 2014, Bronson Battle Creek became a member of the Michigan Green Healthcare Committee and the Healthier Hospital Initiative, both of which support and encourage sustainability within the healthcare sector to improve human and environmental health.

About Energy STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 different types of products as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. Over the past 20 years, American families and businesses have saved a total of nearly $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1/7 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from ENERGY STAR.

For more information about the ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings: energystar.gov/buildings.