For the second consecutive year, the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) has been named an Energy Star Partner of the Year — Energy Efficiency Program Delivery Award winner.

Health care facilities are known for their 24-hour operations and energy-intensive medical equipment, which prompted ASHE to develop its long-running Energy to Care program. Hospitals can sign up for the free program to track energy use, become more efficient and redirect energy savings toward patient care.

Energy to Care’s challenges, awards and publications raise awareness of the importance of sustainability, while the Sustainability Roadmap for Hospitals provides step-by-step instructions for efficiency projects proven to work in health care settings. All of the resources are specifically tailored for hospitals.

The Energy to Care program has seen great success and more participation in recent years. From 2014 to today, the number of facilities participating in Energy to Care has increased more than tenfold, from 239 to more than 2,770.

Other accomplishments of the program include:

  • Energy savings have topped a total of more than $327 million for hospitals in the program.
  • Forty-eight hospitals reduced consumption by 10 percent in a single year and earned a 2017 Energy to Care Award — an increase of 40 percent from the year before.
  • The number of health care facilities in the program with Energy Star scores of 75 or more increased from 110 in 2010 to 260 in 2017.

“Receiving this award for a second consecutive year recognizes the ongoing dedication that our members have shown toward the goal of creating more efficient health care facilities,” says ASHE Executive Director PJ Andrus, CAE. “We are excited to build on our previous success and support hospitals and health systems advance affordability in health care.”

ASHE, a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association, will be recognized on April 20 for its accomplishments by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.