Since 2010, greenhouse gases have been reduced by around two thirds. The Braunau hospital is therefore well on its way to achieving its ambitious self-imposed goal of “climate neutrality” in 2030.
“We have not only achieved the management’s climate targets for 2023, but have even clearly exceeded them. This is particularly true for the targets set by Austria and the EU. Here we are well below the specified values,” says Markus Plunger, technical director at Braunau Hospital.
In total, the Braunau hospital consumes around 13 million kWh of energy per year. Total energy consumption has been reduced by around 33 percent since 2010. “The hospital has thus had the lowest energy consumption since 1995. The share of renewable energy has increased from 17 to 67 percent since 2010. And water consumption has also been reduced by more than half during this period,” says Robert Weiß from Energy Management.
The new building section 10, which went into operation in June, is considered a “green building” that saves 25 percent of energy compared to the building regulations for new buildings. This is achieved primarily by installing a highly efficient closed-loop heat recovery system in the ventilation units.
With heat recovery, the heat or coolness of the exhaust air, i.e. the used air, is used to warm up the fresh air supplied in winter and cool it in summer. The system in the component will have an efficiency of around 85 percent and is therefore up to 35 percent higher than conventional heat recovery systems. The system is particularly efficient at transition temperatures.
Only “green electricity” flows in the Braunau hospital and in the parking garage next to the hospital. This certified green electricity is subject to particularly strict environmental criteria. “We buy the ‘green electricity’ with the environmental label 46,” says Markus Plunger.