Hospitals stand for ca. 5 % of the EU’s CO2 emissions/year, being the largest consumer in the public sector. By applying the ‘Furbish®-method’, which focusses on user-centred and sustainable indoor environments, an innovative IR-sensor concept from RWTH and IEQ competence from Chalmers, energy savings of up to 40 % are estimated. Through combining evidence on human factors from patients and staff with building service technologies, interior design and workflow optimisation, the project intents to lay the ground for a new smart generation of low carbon hospitals of the future. This pilot study will provide unique insight for the adaptation of the Furbish®-method, originally developed at Chalmers for hospitals, to the healthcare sector, and additionally deliver representative field test data of the RWTH sensor concept at University Hospital MHH in Hannover/Germany. Along with energy performance data of the building, we aim to determine the real potential for improvement of user comfort as well as energy savings by demand side control.
Start date
01/01/2018
End date
The project is closed: 31/12/2021