Road to decarbonisation at Tipperary University Hospital

Background

Tipperary University Hospital (TUH) is on a large campus in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. It has both acute and non-acute hospitals as well as an ambulance base. 

The hospital's facilities team spent three years implementing changes to improve energy efficiency across all buildings. The upgrades have had a dramatic effect on the entire facility. 

TUH is now close to achieving its 2030 targets related to a reduction in energy and carbon emissions.

Energy efficiency projects carried out

Lighting
The first project began in 2022. Choosing the low hanging fruit first, they decided to replace existing lighting with energy efficient LED lighting. They were rolled out across all buildings over an 18-month period. Lighting is relatively straightforward to implement and has a definite and significant impact on energy use.

Solar PV
In 2023, the team at TUH  installed photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on the roof of the Slievenamon Unit. This was part of a wider refurbishment programme which included energy efficient design techniques. The windows now open and close automatically to regulate temperature.

Heating
They installed radiant panels in the ceiling instead of radiators. Radiant panel heaters can be installed on the ceiling, controlled individually and are powered by electricity.  The panels replaced the old gas boiler heating system. The new electric system is much more efficient and reduces carbon. It’s better for the staff too. Heating can now be controlled locally, which leads to a much more comfortable working environment. This option was more cost efficient and speedier than overhauling the entire heating system.

Fabric upgrade 
The County Clinic building underwent a full retrofit. This included everything from windows, the electrical system to retrofitting the boiler house. The team are now installing a new energy metering system. This will allow more targeted tracking and monitoring of energy usage across the campus.

Results

The project has resulted in significant savings:

• 769kWh annual energy savings
• €131,805 annual cost savings
• 193 tonnes CO₂ annual savings

A highly motivated team was an essential part of this success story, according to the HSE. Some of the buildings are over 170 years old, which presented many of its own challenges.  Older HSE campuses around the country could benefit from what has been learned by the team in Clonmel.  

TUH's maintenance building is a nearly zero energy building (NZEB) where any energy used comes from renewables. They plan to install solar panels by the end of 2025 and then it will be one of the few zero energy buildings in the country.

What’s next?

The next proposed upgrade will be to the chiller. It assists with cooling air during the summer and controls humidity. This will include a heat recovery system to heat water. As well as being more efficient, this will result in improved working conditions.

Pathfinder programme

This project was supported by SEAI’s pathfinder programme. Through this programme, SEAI partners with public bodies, such as the HSE, to achieve their retrofit goals. We do this by building capacity and knowledge within the sector.