Cogeneration A North west Medical Facility's Answer To the Uncertainties of Deregulation

Abstract

Not so long ago, in the good old da ys, the ene rgy supp ly to a
health care facility was one of the mo st stable. The local util ity p rov ided
wh at w as ne eded at a reasonable cost. Now the ener gy ind us try is be ing
d eregulated. Major unc ert ainties exist in all parts of the ene rgy ind us try.
Since reasonably pr iced and readil y available ener gy is m and at or y for a
health care facilit y op eration, the ene rgy indu str y unc ert ainties reverb er-
ate throu gh the health care ind us try.
The health care indu str y also is chang ing . The facilities d epart-
m ent s of health care organ izat ion s ha ve to be in ventive to assist their
or gan izat ion 's bottom line in the deliver y of effici ent , quality health care
at reasonable costs. Since 1982 Valley Medical Center (Valley) in Renton,
Washington, has implement ed ene rgy efficiency pr ojects . Ener gy reduc-
tion ha s become a tradition.
Cogeneration is the next ene rgy reduction step after all the conven-
tional con servation approach es hav e been exhau sted . The imp ending
der e gul ation was viewe d as an oppo rtunity to further r educ e energy
costs, pa rticularly electricity costs since 80% of Valley's ene rgy cost is for
electricity.