Hospital wards and modular construction: Summertime overheating and energy efficiency

Fifield, Louis-James; Lomas, Kevin J.; Giridharan, Renganathan; Allinson, David

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.05.041

Cited by 38 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 11 publications

(25 reference statements)

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“…Similarly, [4] showed that space heating and cooling are major consumers of energy in hospitals. Air and space heating in UK hospitals consumed 44% of total energy [12]. In India, HVAC systems are also major consumers of electricity, followed by lighting and water pumps (their electricity consumption accounts for 30-65%, 30-40%, and 10-12%, respectively) [14].…”

Section: Energy Consumption In Us Healthcare Facilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The daily energy intensity ranged from 1.2 kWh/m 2 for the operating rooms to 150 kWh/m 2 for medical equipment [5]. In the UK, the study of a 48-bed hospital determined total annual energy demand of 289 kWh/m 2 and identified overheating in some areas during summertime [12]. They also investigated temperature and ventilation performances of the hospital.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Energy Consumption Analysis and Characterization of Healthcare Facilities in the United States

et al. 2019

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Healthcare facilities in the United States account for 4.8% of the total area in the commercial sector and are responsible for 10.3% of total energy consumption in this sector. The number of healthcare facilities increased by 22% since 2003, leading to a 21% rise in energy consumption and an 8% reduction in energy intensity per unit of area (544.8 kWh/m2). This study provides an analytical overview of the end-use energy consumption data in healthcare systems for hospitals in the United States. The energy intensity of the U.S. hospitals ranges from 640.7 kWh/m2 in Zone 5 (very hot) to 781.1 kWh/m2 in Zone 1 (very cold), with an average of 738.5 kWh/m2. This is approximately 2.6 times higher than that of other commercial buildings. High energy intensity in the healthcare facilities, particularly in hospitals, along with energy costs and associated environmental concerns make energy analysis crucial for this type of facility. The proposed analysis shows that U.S. healthcare facilities have higher energy intensity than those of most other countries, especially the European ones. This necessitates the adoption of more energy-efficient approaches to the infrastructure and the management of healthcare facilities in the United States.

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Section: Energy Consumption In Us Healthcare Facilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Consumption Analysis and Characterization of Healthcare Facilities in the United States

et al. 2019

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“…An assessment of the chemical and microbiological contamination conducted in French hospitals demonstrated that the most frequentlyquantified compounds (ethanol and isopropanol) originated mainly from healthcare activities and uses (hand rubbing) [19]. As multiple pollution sources exist in the inpatient buildings, such as viruses exhaled by patients, bacterial reproduction, and mold breeding, the ventilation system strongly influences the IAQ [20][21][22]. Yau et al [23] indicated the multiple-bed hospital wards pose a risk of infection because communicable and susceptible individuals congregate together, resulting in frequent airborne nosocomial transmission.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A field study on indoor environment quality of Chinese inpatient buildings in a hot and humid region

Tang

Ding

et al. 2019

Building and Environment

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In this research, objective physical measurements and subjective questionnaire surveys are used to investigate the indoor environment quality of Chinese inpatient buildings. The relative humidity in the inpatient buildings reaches 65%-75% during summer, resulting in the regular appearance of microbial growth on indoor surfaces. The average outdoor air change rate measured through the CO 2 concentration decay method in the sampled inpatient rooms is 1.1 h −1 , which is 45% below the standard threshold. The CO 2 concentration in over 99% of the functional spaces is below the threshold of 1000 ppm. However, the dissatisfaction rate of the air freshness is higher than 25%, owing to the characteristics of healthcare activities. Insufficient fresh air volume and high supply air humidity ratio of the outdoor air system result in the inadequate dehumidification capacity and the over-humid environment in the inpatient buildings. From the perspective of indoor TVOC and PM2.5 concentration, a hospitable IAQ is achieved in the inpatient buildings. In the nurse unit, the illumination levels in public areas, such as patient corridors and nurse stations, are inadequate. The average noise levels (A) in the inpatient rooms and nurse stations are 50.7 and 61.6 dB, respectively, which exceeds the Chinese standard. According to the subjective survey, the dissatisfaction rates of overall IEQ in the summer for patients and visitors are 7.9% and 10.4%, respectively, while for staff it is 34.8%. Statistical analysis reveals that the satisfaction levels of the patient with the IEQ are higher than that of the visitor and staff.

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“…Previous studies have discussed how construction techniques and methods affect energy efficiency. For example, off-site construction has been employed as an energy-efficient solution and a convenient method in the UK [32]. Energy and emission management strategies depend on the assembly area, the material storage location, on-site concrete creation methods, and cast in situ conditions, which all are affected by the layout plan, topography, accessibility, and handling equipment available on site.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Green Performance Evaluation System for Energy-Efficiency-Based Planning for Construction Site Layout

et al. 2019

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The location of temporary facilities in a construction project and the entire site layout plan directly affect project objectives such as time, labor cost, and material transportation and handling. The layout of construction sites also affects entrainment factors such as energy consumption, carbon footprints, and overall construction operation productivity. While site layout planning has been intensively investigated from a project objectives perspective, there have been very few studies of energy-efficiency-based planning, or of the sustainability performance of site layouts. This study developed a green performance evaluation system aimed at improving the sustainability of construction site layouts. The identified factors include six sustainable evaluation categories covering energy conservation and environmental protection, people-oriented principles, construction efficiency, intensity of economic growth, intensity of space use, and the overall control of process. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was adopted to determine the weight of each attribute and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was established to carry out the evaluation. The 23 attributes adopted in this paper were identified in the literature; however, the major contribution of this paper is the development of a green performance evaluation system. This system integrates both qualitative and quantitative attributes and provides an overall evaluation of the environmental effectiveness of a construction site layout. The proposed evaluation system was validated with a commercial building project. The average utilization ratio of the case study site was calculated as 94%, and lessons learned are discussed in this paper. The case study analysis identified available site spaces around the building and examined how the arrangement of resources and facilities ensures effective connection between construction activities. The findings showed that the facility’s layout plays a crucial role in energy consumption and green performance. The proposed system will support construction project managers to create high-performance construction site layouts in more scientific and systematic ways.

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Hospital wards and modular construction: Summertime overheating and energy efficiency

Cited by 38 publications

References 11 publications

Energy Consumption Analysis and Characterization of Healthcare Facilities in the United States

Energy Consumption Analysis and Characterization of Healthcare Facilities in the United States

A field study on indoor environment quality of Chinese inpatient buildings in a hot and humid region

Green Performance Evaluation System for Energy-Efficiency-Based Planning for Construction Site Layout

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