CASE STUDIESSupporting better patient care at the University Health Network
Opportunity
Keeping patients comfortable – and costs down
The University Health Network (UHN) is the largest health care and medical research organization in Canada, comprised of four major hospitals and a learning institute that each require considerable amounts of energy to operate. With 24/7 year-round service, reliable cooling is essential to keep patients comfortable, maintain critical temperature bands in operating rooms, run MRI machines and other sensitive equipment, and control humidity levels.
Solution
Reliable, resilient and ready for the future
Today, two UHN facilities, including Toronto General Hospital and the TRI-University Centre, are connected to Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) system, with plans underway to connect Princess Margaret Hospital. The globally-recognized system is an innovative alternative to traditional cooling towers and equipment. Highly efficient, the system displaces 55 MW of energy a year from the grid – equivalent to powering eight hospitals. By harnessing the cold temperatures of Lake Ontario to cool buildings, hospitals benefit from greater temperature control and improved resilience. In the event of a major power outage, DLWC can continue to supply cooling without any disruption, using only minimal power from backup generators.
Results
Freeing up dollars for patient care
The Enwave system helps UHN improve reliability, reduce operating costs and support better patient care. As the system is expandable, the investment will reduce capital costs of any future projects and allow nearby buildings planning heating and cooling retrofits to tap into the network more easily than investing in on-site equipment. Across each facility, the project is expected to free up millions of dollars in capital to reallocate to other priorities such as research, patient care and life-saving equipment.
Successes
Three UHN facilities are currently connected or in the process of connecting to the Enwave system
Toronto General Hospital achieved annual energy savings of 20% to 30%
Improved comfort, reliability and resiliency
“With three facilities connected to Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling system, including the Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Rehab – University Centre and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (underway), we’re working together with Enwave to improve resiliency and redundancy and reduce operating costs. The money we save on electricity, water and cooling can be spent on other priorities, including supporting patient care.”
– Ed Rubinstein, Director, Environmental Compliance, Energy & Sustainability, UHN
By the numbers
Compared to traditional cooling towers, DLWC can reduce energy use by up to 80%
The entire DLWC network displaces 55 MW of energy a year from the grid – equivalent to powering eight hospitals
At Toronto General Hospital, the water saved could fill five Olympic-size swimming pools every year and the peak power capacity of 3.5 MW saved could power 58,000 laptops at full power for a year
Start the conversation
Let’s talk about how we can make you more sustainable, reliable and efficient.
