Energy Behaviour

While it is common practice to use energy saving technologies to achieve energy reductions, people ultimately control how technologies are used and achieve energy savings. Energy management that includes the human dimension is known as Energy Behaviour.

Energy Behaviour approaches have been shown to be successful in the residential sector to reduce home energy use and to induce energy savings in businesses. The application of Energy Behaviour in the institutional sector and how a sector approach can be designed to achieve energy savings is not well understood or documented, although it has been demonstrated in several hospital settings, some which have shown energy savings of 3-10%.

This web page is in response to an increased interest on behalf of our members and staff in the hospital sector, who want to learn more about applying Energy Behaviour to achieve energy savings.

Energy Behaviour Awards

Thank you to the SaveOnEnergy program for sponsoring the GHS Energy Behaviour Awards.

The award winners for the Energy Behaviour Awards are:

2019
Winner: University Health Network - Toronto General
Honourable Mention: London Health Sciences Centre
Honourable Mention: St. Joseph's Health Care, London

2018
Winner: London Health Sciences Centre - Victoria Hospital
Honourable Mention: University Health Network
Honourable Mention: St. Joseph's Health Care, London

Results of the Green Hospital Scorecard (GHS) Energy Behaviour Survey Questions for 2019

Health Care-specific Energy Behaviour Resources

WEBINARS

 

  • Webinar: Designing Behaviour Change Programs for Encouraging Energy Efficiency. March 7, 2019. Behaviour Energy and Climate Change (BECC) Sponsored Webinar. Behaviour Change 101: Theory and Practice

 

PRESENTATIONS

 

  • It’s not my job: Changing Behavior and Culture in a Healthcare Setting. Kady Cowan, Dr Reuven Sussman, Dr Sea Rotmann, Dr. Eric Mazzi. August 2018. Conference Paper. ACEEE Summer Study at Monterey, California. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327781328_It's_not_my_job_Changing_Behavi or_and_Culture_in_a_Healthcare_Setting_to_Save_Energy
TRAINING

Dollars to $ense (D2$) energy management workshops. Includes a Module on Energy Behaviour https://cietcanada.com/dollars-to-sense-energy-management-workshops/

PAPERS

 

 

REPORTS

 

 

 

  • Cowan, K., Sussman, R., Rotmann, S. & R. Cox (2017). Subtask 11: Real-life case studies Designing a Behaviour Change Programme for Hospital Facilities Staff. IEA DSM Task 24. http://www.ieadsm.org/task/task-24-phase-2/

Examples of Energy Behaviour Initiatives in Hospitals

Facility Name

London Health Science Centre (LHSC)
Location London, Ontario, Canada
Program Name The Chester Program
What is it?

LHSC has been running an employee engagement program for energy efficiency since 2003 using an energy mascot CHESTER. The program inspires active participation by staff to help the hospital save energy and is hosted by the energy mascot CHESTER to keep the program fun and friendly. The program incorporates behaviour change strategies and activities that help to get staff involved while increasing awareness around energy use. The departmental Energy Challenge has been a great success with energy reductions tracked using a portable power analyzer. The challenges are run for five weeks at a time and daily savings are presented on a ‘game board’ inside the department area, providing immediate feedback on how their actions helps save electricity. Staff Engagement is a component of Demand Side Management within their Energy Management Plan, and identifies the Chester Network/program to engage staff through Department Challenges, Energy Hearos, and the Marketing Campaign. see
Successes

Departmental challenges run over five weeks typically reduce electricity use by 10 – 15%

The Chester Program Resources

DOCUMENTS/ PROGRAM LINKS
  • LHSC Energy Management Plan 
  • A Template for the Chester Team
  • This is a Step-by-Step manual on how to initiate and maintain a program and the behaviour change science behind it. (Insert doc)
CASE STUDIES
  • Chester Network
    • Includes: London Health Sciences Centre, St. Josephs Health Care Centre London, Alexander Marine and General Hospital, Huron Perth HealthCare Alliance, and Alberta Health Services. Available in: Implementing an Energy Efficiency Awareness Program. Office of Energy Efficiency. Government of Canada. 2012. Pg 22

Facility Name

University Health Network
Location Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Program Name

TLC (Thermostats Lights and Controls
What is it?

UHN piloted a unique, comprehensive energy management and engagement program in their three hospitals (Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto General Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital over three years (2007–2010).
Successes

By the end of the three-year pilot, the TLC program achieved: -Total energy use reduction: 2.4% net reduction /
- GHG reduced: 2,506 tonnes of CO2 equivalents

TLC (Thermostats Lights and Controls) Resources

DOCUMENTS/ PROGRAM LINKS

 

CASE STUDIES

 

 

 

PRESENTATIONS/WEBINARS
  • Energy Management, Behaviour Change, and Hospital Culture. Ed Rubinstein and Kady Cowan. Presentation to CleanMed, 2015.

 

 

  • TLC: Care to Conserve. Behaviour Change as part of the University Health Network’s integrated energy management plan. 2016 (upload doc)
MEDIA

Care to Conserve program helps reduce energy consumption. Hospital News. https://hospitalnews.com/care-to-conserve-program-helps-reduce-energy-consumption/

Facility Name

Lower Mainland Health Authority
Location British Columbia (BC), Canada
Program Name Green + Leaders
What is it?

Green+Leaders started in 2008 to provide staff with direct support in making energy and environmental sustainability changes in their work-spaces. The program provides direct one-on-one engagement with staff around energy and environmental conservation.
Successes

Since the program’s inception, Green+Leaders has implemented several successful energy reduction campaigns to encourage staff to turn off equipment. Some departments have reported up to an 80 % improvement in “turn-it-off” behaviour.

Green + Leaders Resources

Facility Name

 Atrium Health (formerly Carolina Health System)
Location

North Carolina, USA
Program Name

Energy Connect
What is it?

 
Successes

First-year results in six facilities showed annual energy savings at three facilities ranged from 3.5% to 12%, with all pilot sites saving energy attributable to Energy Connect.

Energy Connect Resources

DOCUMENTS/ PROGRAM LINKS

 

CASE STUDIES
PRESENTATIONS/WEBINARS

Facility Name

Vancouver Island Health Authority (IH)
Location

150 health care facilities in Vancouver Island, Georgia Strait, and mainland communities north of Powell River and south of Rivers Inlet.
Program Name

Originally called: ‘Turn it Off’; in 2016 rebranded as Energy Wise Network (EWN) program.
What is it?

Energy behaviour change program started in 2010 guided by Prism Engineering, with a focus on two key behaviours: turning off lights and monitors. Cost-effective tools and techniques included: setting up Green Teams and training Green Team members to conduct energy walkabouts, campaigns using emails, posters and stickers, green cupcake events, light bulb exchange days, Good to be Green contests, Turn It Off Tours conducted with BC Hydro staff, and post-program surveys. The program leads believed the success of the program depended on the use of Community Based Social Marketing Techniques, which emphasised the importance of person to person contact to prompt the new behaviours.

IH developed Greening Care program in 2016 which had three components: organization-wide staff communications and engagement; the Green Champion Program for staff who carry out green initiatives at select facilities (replacing the Green Team program); and a Facilities Maintenance and Operations (FMO) Engagement Program aimed towards FMO staff at all owned sites. FMO staff participated in year-long Building Energy Challenge Campaign in 2017 which included targeting different continuous optimization opportunities to encourage new habits of looking for energy saving opportunities as a part of daily rounds. Topics included reduced lighting, optimized VFD, air supply and reduced equipment runtime. In 2017 ran successful ‘fans and pumps’ campaign. In 2018 focused on direct digital controls (DDC) such as turn of equipment when not needed, reduced heating or increased cooling temperature setpoints after-hours, improved sequence of operations and enhanced maintenance procedures. A checklist developed for crews to help identify energy savings. Three well-received webinars encouraged dialogue among FMO staff from various locations.
Workplace Conservation Awareness Program incentives provided by BC Hydro and FortisBC.
Successes

With ‘Turn It Off’ program: reduced lighting in sample office by 50% following walkabouts. Other areas reported lighting reduced by 10 – 15%

following program promotion. With FMO programs: staff identified substantial energy savings, including from replacing old equipment.

Energy Wise Network (EWN) Resources

Facility Name

Manchester Trust and ‘Jump’
Location

Manchester, England
Program Name

Green Rewards Programme
What is it?

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has launched an incentivised sustainability and wellbeing behaviour change programme for its 20,000 employees. The Green Rewards programme, aims to encourage positive actions among employees through use of an online platform and mobile app. The programme was launched on 7 May 2019 and is available to staff in nine hospitals, as well as the NHS community health services through Manchester Local Care Organisation (MLCO). Using an online platform and mobile app, employees are able to track positive behaviours and earn ‘green points’. Desired behaviours include recycling, energy saving, sustainable travel, and wellbeing activities such as keeping active, travelling to work actively, and spending time outside. The activities are divided into six categories: engage, nature, nurture, consumption, journeys and fuel. Some of the behaviours being promoted include switching off electrical equipment, pledging to use less plastic, a step challenge and meat-free Mondays.
Successes

Savings per year on energy bill;
- CO2 saved/year: 2,200 tonnes
- £ Money saved on energy consumption since 2013: $859,769 USD

Green Rewards Programme Resources

DOCUMENTS/ PROGRAM LINKS

  • Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Jump Case Study

Facility Name

Barts Health NHS Trust and Global Action Plan
Location

 
Program Name

Operation TLC: Turning equipment off, Lights out, Close doors
What is it?

Operation TLC is a hospital behavior change program that links reduced energy costs with improved patient experience. Initiated in 2013 by Barts Health NHS Trust and Global Action Plan (GAP), the program encouraged staff in six hospitals to turn off unused equipment, switch off lights, and close doors, allowing the hospitals to save money from energy efficiency, create a healing environment for patients, boost

staff productivity, and reduce emissions. Operation TLC has become an award-winning behavior-modification program, where training hospital staff to adopt simple energy efficient behaviors saves health organizations energy and money while also creating healing environments for patients. 12 other Trusts have also adopted Operation TLC
Successes

- Savings per year on energy bill;
- CO2 saved/year: 2,200 tonnes
- Money saved on energy consumption since 2013: $859,769 USD

Operation TLC: Turning equipment off, Lights out, Close doors Resources