Case Study: Custom Air Conditioning

InvestSmart with JEA provides incentives for JEA’s business customers who purchase and install eligible high-efficiency energy conservation measures. 

Saving Over A Million kWh Per Year on Energy

Baptist Health is a regional healthcare system that has been delivering quality patient care from five locations across Northeast Florida (Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Baptist Medical Center South, Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and Wolfson Children’s Hospital) since 1955.

Baptist Health is a unique energy user compared to other large facilities in that they operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The air conditioning demand is much higher compared to other large buildings. The amount of air conditioning they provide into patient rooms is constant and at a large air volume.

Recent changes in the Florida Building Code allowed Baptist Health to reduce the air volume to the patient areas, while never going below minimum code requirements for patient care. This change has resulted in a cascade of energy savings in fan horsepower, pumping horsepower, chilled water generation and steam. Simply put by Facility Manger Jim Dixon, “We are no longer running the heating and cooling wide open at the same time in these areas.”

Baptist Health was introduced to the InvestSmart with JEA program by their account representative, who informed them of the potential energy efficiency and cost savings opportunities. “The key motivating factor for participating in the InvestSmart with JEA program,” notes Dixon, “was the combination of the energy savings we would gain from the upgrades and the additional rebate dollars we were eligible to receive, which would improve our rate of return on our investment and ultimately our bottom line.”

The custom project the hospital embarked upon included the reduction of air volume into the patient care areas, while still maintaining minimum code requirements for patient care. This saved energy on their fans, pumps and chillers. Dixon explains, “InvestSmart representatives were very helpful with the initial documentation phase and in the final certification of the savings we projected.”

The Results

The custom upgrades will result in a total estimated energy savings of 756,680 kWh per year at the Baptist Jacksonville location, and 615,165 kWh per year at Baptist South. The projects were also eligible for rebates totaling over $85,000. Ultimately, the Baptist Jacksonville project will pay for itself in about six months and the Baptist South project in just over two years.

Baptist Health is very focused on patient comfort and code compliance. The energy upgrades allowed the hospital to achieve both goals. “We experienced true teamwork with our InvestSmart with JEA partners. Their prompt responses and suggestions provided us with positive results and helped us realize greater savings,” says Dixon. He concludes, “they have been a great partner in our energy saving program!”

Custom Air Conditioning Upgrades

• Design your own energy savings plan
• Reduce your energy usage and improve your bottom line

For more information about commercial rebates, please contact us:

• (888) 345-4609
• investsmart@jea.com