St James’s Hospital, one of Ireland’s largest national public hospitals, wished to improve patient and staff comfort while increasing resilience and energy efficiency at the hospital in a cost-efficient manner.
SDCL has financed and implemented a 20-year energy performance contract which, over its term will reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint by 118,380 tonnes, cut electrical consumption by 26% and deliver €26 million in guaranteed energy and operational savings. Included in the energy upgrades at the hospital will be a new Energy Centre containing a 2MWe combined heat and power (CHP) plant which will generate 13GWh of low carbon electricity a year, a new campus-wide building management system, LED lighting and air conditioning system.
The transaction is designed as an energy performance contract for St James’s Hospital, whereby SDCL provides the upfront funding of €14.9m and earns its return through a 20-year fixed, index linked service fee. The energy saving measures will be guaranteed by Veolia who will also provide a comprehensive maintenance service for the duration of the 20-year contract.
Hospitals are one of the largest and most consistent energy users with the crucial role they play being highlighted now, more than ever. This project demonstrates how energy efficiency can deliver cheaper, cleaner and more reliable infrastructure solutions to a key infrastructure sector.
