July 15, 2024Northern Health has recently been ranked the most energy efficient health service in Victoria, according to the NABERS Sustainability Portfolio Index (SPI).
NABERS, the National Australian Built Environment Rating System, evaluates the environmental performance of public buildings by measuring energy and water usage, then comparing them to similar institutions. The rating system uses a star scale, where six stars represent superior performance.
Victorian public hospitals have collectively attained an impressive average NABERS rating of 4.1 stars for energy, categorising them as ‘high performance’.
Notably, Northern Health surpassed this benchmark, earning an exceptional 5.1 stars out of 6 for energy efficiency per occupied bed day, the highest in the state.
“We thank the Victorian Health Building Authority for submitting the data for 2022-23, on behalf of the State, to enable the rating,” said Basil Ireland, Chief Financial Officer, Northern Health.
“We are hopeful that we will be purchasing 100 per cent renewable energy from the grid from 1 January 2025. This is a State Government initiative that we are excited about,” he added.
Craigieburn Centre also stood out by joining an elite group of 13 hospitals that received a perfect 6-star rating. This Market Leader status was awarded for both water and energy efficiency.
Looking ahead, Alex Jovanovski, Director, Engineering and Building Services, expressed optimism about further improvements. He noted that, “future data would reflect the impact of newly installed solar panels, potentially boosting their already impressive NABERS score.”
“Mental Health sites have solar installations and Kilmore District Hospital has a new solar upgrade. We are monitoring and adjusting summer/winter cooling and heating temperatures via the Engineering Building Monitoring System across most of the Northern Health sites,” he added.
Pictured in featured image (L-R): Alex Jovanovski, Director, Engineering and Building Services and Basil Ireland, CFO, Northern Health.
