Healthy approach to energy...

• World's first passive energy hospital
• Significant savings in operating costs are expected

Klinikum Frankfurt Hoechst is building the world’s first hospital to meet the passive house standards. The new building replaces the old and inefficient 1960s hospital and running costs are expected to reduce significantly.

The new building, scheduled for completion in 2019, is designed to meet the 'passive house' concept, which is a building that does not require conventional heating. Renewable energy like solar and heat recovery equipment is used extensively to recover heat from wastewater and ventilation. When compared to average new buildings, passive houses use around 75 % less energy.

Hospitals operate 24 hours a day and are typically very energy-intensive. Medical equipment such as X-rays and MR imaging machines and computers also use a lot of electricity. These alone can account for 7-8 % of the energy consumption. Using more efficient equipment is another way of saving energy. Cleaning and hygiene regimes also consume a lot of energy. And facilities such as surgery rooms need separate ventilation and special requirements for exhaust heat utilisation.

Key benefits

• Significantly lower running costs

• Heating energy consumption is around 75 % lower 

• More comfortable facilities with shorter distances within the building