Healthcare
Background
The Entegral team have worked with many of the largest healthcare / hospital providers in Ireland, in both the public and private sector. We retain extensive experience in relation to the challenges and complexities regarding the sector and have delivered a range of energy transition services from energy procurement, cPPA's and risk management to climate action strategy and project delivery.
As Ireland's largest private hospital group, this organisation faces significant decarbonization challenges within Ireland's stringent climate framework. Hospitals are among the most energy-intensive buildings, operating 24/7 with critical life-support systems that cannot be compromised. The group must reduce emissions from energy consumption, medical equipment, and supply chains while maintaining exceptional patient care standards. Key challenges include transitioning to renewable energy without risking power interruptions, sourcing sustainable energy & medical supplies, and upgrading aging infrastructure. With more than 4,000 staff treating 300,000 patients annually any decarbonization strategy must balance environmental goals with operational reliability and patient safety requirements.
Case Study
The Problem
Large hospitals face complex decarbonization challenges that extend beyond typical commercial buildings. Hospitals consume 2.5 times more energy than office buildings, requiring constant power for critical care equipment, surgical suites, and climate control systems that directly impact patient outcomes.
Energy Infrastructure: The group must transition to renewable energy while maintaining absolute reliability. Backup generators and uninterruptible power systems complicate this transition, as any power disruption could be life-threatening. Ireland's grid constraints add additional complexity to renewable energy procurement.
Supply Chain Emissions: Medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and single-use equipment represent significant embedded carbon. The group faces limited sustainable alternatives while maintaining regulatory compliance and patient safety standards. Changing suppliers requires extensive validation processes that can take years.
Operational Constraints: Unlike other sectors, hospitals cannot reduce operations during peak energy periods. With 300,000 patients treated annually, demand continues growing while decarbonization pressures intensify. Staff training on sustainable practices must not compromise clinical protocols.
Financial Pressures: Capital investments in energy efficiency, renewable systems, and sustainable equipment must compete with medical technology upgrades and patient care needs. As a private provider, the group must balance environmental investments with competitive healthcare pricing.
Regulatory Complexity: Healthcare regulations prioritize patient safety over environmental concerns, creating potential conflicts between sustainability initiatives and compliance requirements that require careful navigation
Our Solutions
The team at Integral Energy implemented a number of key processes with the organisation to set up and structure an energy transition system that would sustain and deliver results in line with the requirements of the organisation. These included development and certification to the internationally recognised Energy Management System Standard ISO 50001, development of a climate action strategy to 2030 including objectives, targets and projects as well as delivering key projects to achieve the relevant decarbonisation targets. Entegral team also supported the procurement and risk management of energy and associated cPPA which provided significant renewable energy to the organisation.