SSM Health Baraboo Receives Energy Star

SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Baraboo has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® certification for superior energy efficiency for 2024. This recognition represents the diligent work of the plant operations team to save money and reduce operating costs by implementing and following industry best practices and careful attention to energy performance each month. It also showcases SSM Health’s commitment to environmental responsibility.

Dave Greenwood, Plant Operations Manager for St. Clare Hospital – Baraboo shared that they received an Energy Star score of 82, which means that St. Clare is more energy efficient than 82% of similar properties nationwide. Some of the projects that contributed to this great score are:

Upgrading to LED lighting in areas around the hospital that use light continuously 24/7.

Moving to UV lighting in the air handlers. UV lights help keep the coils clean, which creates less resistance for the airflow allowing motors to work more efficiently.

Replacing the media in the cooling towers, which enables the water to be colder before bringing it into the chillers, saving energy.

Having new boiler controls and variable frequency drives installed on pumps. The VFD’s allow the pumps to modulate depending on load, which in turn saves energy.

The ENERGY STAR rating system is the only energy efficiency certification that is based on actual, verified energy performance. Facilities that score a 75 or higher are eligible to apply for ENERGY STAR certification. Before facilities can earn the ENERGY STAR certification, a professional engineer or registered architect must verify that the information contained within the certification application is accurate.