NEEN FACT SHEET
Energy Efficiency:
Aged Care
This fact sheet looks at common types of energy consuming
equipment found in aged care facilities. This will help you
identify energy efficiency opportunities in your facility.
Energy consumption in aged care facilities can contribute
significantly to operatings costs. In Australia, approximately 7.8
million gigajoules of energy is consumed by aged care facilities
every year. This is comparable to the entire output from some
gas-fired power stations.
Why does energy efficiency in
Aged Care facilities matter?
Keeping costs low is a major priority for businesses operating in
this sector, as many operate in a very low margin environment.
Set against this backdrop are the ever-increasing unit costs for
energy use and an ageing population in Australia – many of
whom energy-intensive assistance.
Reducing energy costs can have a significant impact on
lowering operating costs, thereby showing greatly improved
margins for most businesses in this sector.
Figure 1. Energy consumption profile of an aged care facility
Energy consumption in
Aged Care facilities
Heating and
Cooling electricity
27%
Energy consumption in aged care facilities tends
to be highest in the following areas:
•
Heating and cooling
•
Hot water
•
Lighting
Other
equipment electricity
17%
Hot Water - gas
21%
The typical breakdown is graphically illustrated in the
pie chart shown opposite.
Typically, areas with the greatest energy savings potential
will be contained within the largest ‘slices’ of the pie.
Heating - gas
Kitchen - gas Laundry clothes
3%
4%
dryers - gas
11%
Lighting electricity
17%
Energy saving opportunities
There are two key areas where savings can be made:
National Energy Efficiency Network
•
uick wins – these are areas that can be addressed at no or
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low cost almost straight away
•
trategic – those areas which are more complex, or require
S
more capital investment
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April 2015
Quick wins
•
urn lights off – Turn off lights when you are away from a room for more
T
than ten minutes.
•
ptimise temperature settings in each area – This will minimise the
O
amount of heating/cooling required.
•
Optimise temperature settings of hot water generation – Typically, hot
water systems have their temperature set very high to prevent bacteria
build-up. However, many people set this temperature much higher than
required, to introduce a “safety factor” that is not always needed.
•
tandby power consumption – Many electrical appliances in the aged
S
care sector tend to be left on all of the time. Although this equipment
generally goes into standby mode when not used for a period of time,
this can still have a substantial energy cost. This is generally a very
small amount of power consumption, but this small consumption when
multiplied over 24 hours, 365 days per year, turns into a large amount of
energy use. To prevent this, either manually switch appliances off at the
wall, or use smart switches that sense standby mode and automatically
shut off power.
Strategic opportunities
The following energy saving projects are
worth considering at aged care facilities:
Lighting upgrade
Upgrade to more efficient lighting
solutions where older lighting technology
exists. Lighting upgrades in this instance
can consist of fitting new reflectors,
new ballasts or new entire luminaires.
It can also include improved controls,
improving use of daylight and delamping.
Refer to the NEEN lighting fact sheet for
more information.
Insulation/draught-proofing/shading
Heating/cooling is generally accepted
as the largest energy consumer in
this sector, so it makes good sense
to minimise heat gains/losses.
Improved insulation can reduce energy
requirements for heating/cooling by
as much as 25%. In colder climates,
draught proofing can reduce heating
requirements by as much as 40%.
Providing shade by planting a tree
outside a window can help reduce solar
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heat gain in summer by nearly 70%.
Economy cycle
Installation of additional external
temperature and humidity sensors, as
well as motorised dampers and extra
fans, can help to reduce air conditioning
costs. An Economy cycle on an air
conditioning system uses outside air
to cool down the inside of a building
whenever the external temperature is
cooler than it is inside.
Upgrade cooling systems
Many cooling systems in the aged care
sector, such as air conditioning units,
are old technology. There are many
systems on the market today that are
more efficient. If you have an older
system, it is worthwhile considering an
upgrade based on energy savings (as
well as a need to replace certain types of
refrigerant gas – for example, if you have
a system that uses R22 gas, this must be
replaced by 2015).
Timers, sensors and motion control
Use programmable timers, daylight
sensors or movement sensors to control
lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation and
dispensing systems.
Efficient appliances
Many older electrical appliances such as
televisions, stereos, fridges, freezers, and
washing machines are inefficient. Recent
advancement in technology has seen
many improvements in the efficiency of
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these appliances. Look for energy ratings
labels which rate the appliance from one
to six stars. The higher number of stars,
the less energy it takes to do the same
job.
Solar hot water
Solar water heating is the most energyefficient means of heating water. This is
where the water is pumped through coils
which are heated by the sun, before being
stored in a storage cylinder (all of which is
generally situated on the property roof).
Booster heat is typically required to raise
this water to the required temperature
(e.g. on cloudy days or at night). Gas
boosting should be used in preference to
electric boosting where this is available.
Solar hot water systems can also attract
Small-scale Technology Certificates –
which can be sold for cash, effectively
meaning that the capital cost to install
these systems is greatly reduced.
Solar power (Photovoltaics)
Australia is blessed with an abundance
of sunlight. Solar panels can convert this
sunlight into electricity. This electricity
can then be stored in batteries (for offgrid sites), or converted to grid electricity
and either used at the site, or sold
back to the electricity supplier. Solar
photovoltaic systems can also attract
Small-scale Technology Certificates –
which can be sold for cash, effectively
meaning that the capital cost to install
these systems is greatly reduced. Refer
to the NEEN solar PV fact sheet for more
information.
Kitchen ventilation
Exhaust fans in kitchen areas can
consume large amounts of energy.
Ensure these are switched off when not
in use. For additional savings, a variable
speed drive can reduce the speed of the
fan motor to suit the correct extraction
requirements.
Refrigerators/freezers
This consists of standalone refrigerators,
freezers, display cabinets, cold storage
rooms and freezer rooms. This equipment
can consume a significant amount of
energy – particularly if poorly maintained.
Regular maintenance of these items
should include: checking of door seals,
cleaning of condenser and evaporator
coils and checking of temperature
sensors.
April 2015
Case study – Multicultural Aged
Care Services, Geelongg
The Multicultural Aged Care Services Geelong Inc (MACS)
has completed a number of improvements to reduce the
energy use of their building, after received funding from
“Future proofing Geelong” and completing an energy
assessment.
The assessment identified a number of opportunities for
reducing the organisation’s energy costs and lowering
their carbon emissions by 25%. MACS decided to act on all
of the eight recommendations in the assessment report.
The works included upgrading lighting to LED globes,
automatic switching systems plus insulation of external
door surrounds.
MACS plan to monitor the outcomes, with a follow up
energy assessment in a year’s time, and then present on
the findings and outcomes for residents and staff to other
aged care providers in the region/state.
Useful links
NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Energy Saver – Aged Care Toolkit
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/
business/120602-aged-care-toolkit.pdf
Multicultural Aged Care Services Geelong
Information on case study
http://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/news/
item/8cfe2dd98f36315.aspx
where to next?
Collate your gas and electricity bills from the last 12 months.
Enter your energy data into the NEEN calculator tool.
Explore the NEEN website for more information.
for further information
NEEN – National Energy Efficiency Network
NEEN is a national initiative
to promote open learning
and collaboration amongst
faith-based and not-for-profit
community organisations, with
the aim of increasing energy
efficiency and establishing a
positive energy future for
the sector.
What makes the NEEN
initiative so powerful?
NEEN provides small to medium
sized community organisations
with the resources to reduce
energy consumption and the
opportunity to connect and
collaborate on a range of
initiatives that foster a resilient,
sustainable future for the not-forprofit sector and the communities
they serve.
An Open Invitation
No matter where you are on
your journey to achieve your
sustainability goals, you’re
welcome to join the NEEN
community. Make the connection
and discover a better energy
future for your organisation.
Acknowledgements
This project was funded by the Australian Government – Dept of Industry – Energy
Efficiency Information Grant Program. The Level 1 Energy audits and opportunities
assessments were carried out by Energetics on behalf of the NEEN program.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is of a general nature only and does
not constitute personal financial product advice. In preparing the advice no account
was taken of the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular person.
Therefore, before making any decision, readers should seek professional advice
from a professional adviser to help you consider the appropriateness of the advice
with regard to your particular objectives, financial situation and needs.
Government Disclaimer
This Activity received funding from the Department of Industry as part of the
Energy Efficiency Information Grants Program. The views expressed herein are not
necessarily the views of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Commonwealth
does not accept responsibility for any information or advice contained herein.
Connect, discover, collaborate, transform
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April 2015