Facilities Key Sustainability Efforts
Throughout the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Enterprise, our Facilities team has implemented sustainability strategies that reduce our carbon footprint, storm water and waste. From recycling construction materials and reducing energy costs, to building LEED® certified buildings and designing rooftop gardens, we strive to recycle, reuse and repurpose. And we are always looking for ways to increase these efforts. Here are a few of our key sustainability strategies.
Green Buildings
Many of our buildings are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certified Silver and Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED® certified buildings are efficiently designed with operating costs and energy savings. Our LEED® certified buildings include:
- Nicolas and Athena Karabots Pediatric Care Center
- Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care
- Ruth and Tristam Colket, Jr. Translational Research Building
- Roberts Center for Pediatric Research
- Middleman Family Pavilion at CHOP, King of Prussia
Reducing Water Pollution
The award-winning stormwater retention design of the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care incorporates natural green space for patients to enjoy while providing another important function: reducing pollution in city waterways. This sustainably designed system is capable of holding up to 114,000 gallons of stormwater, drastically reducing runoff that can cause the city sewage system to overflow into local rivers.
Chiller and Boiler Treatments
Our state-of-the-art hydronic chiller boiler system uses water in place of air to heat and cool our facilities. This sustainability effort allows us to maintain clean heat exchange surfaces using PH standards.
Recycling
Our recycling initiatives have significantly reduced medical waste, with reusable medical equipment removed from campus and offered on the reuse market. Equipment that can’t be reused is recycled by local material recyclers.
Making Energy
Our five solar “farms” located in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey generate a collective 1,100kW of power, saving the equivalent of 85,132 gallons of gasoline each year. The largest site is located in Plainsboro, N.J., where energy can be tracked on a daily, monthly and yearly basis.
In addition, our 59 regenerative drive elevators create electricity when slowing down, saving 20-40% of elevator energy they would otherwise use. This power savings is equivalent to 40,250 trees and 922 tons of CO2.
By reducing our power usage through these and other initiatives, we are reducing city pollution and being a better neighbor for our patients and families who live in the surrounding region.
Campus Energy Tune-up
We partner with leading professional engineering companies who assist in identifying key areas with opportunities for improvement as it relates to our sustainability efforts. Our partners help us by:
- Reviewing and monitoring air handler systems
- Testing our facilities’ hot water systems to ensure maximum efficiency
- Replacing outdoor air systems when necessary
All of these efforts combine to ensure our facilities are both conserving energy and operating at maximum efficiency at all times. As new technology emerges, CHOP is proud to be on the forefront of creating a more sustainable future for all.