First name:
Alex
Last name:
Wynn
Class Year:
2022
Advisor:
Michael Oristaglio
Essay Abstract:
The healthcare sector plays a large role in CO2 emissions due to high amounts of electricity consumption in facilities. As stewards of public health, practitioners have a duty to reduce the emissions attributed to their buildings. One of the challenges in reduction strategies is knowing where to focus reduction efforts: where are emissions coming from? We start by examining the emissions of 186 service providers in the Yale New Haven Health System, and categorize each by the services provided. In doing so, we find a correlation between high emissions and inpatient care facilities. This study then analyses emissions data for the five main hospitals in the Yale New Haven System. We find that after account for metrics of square footage and patient days, the hospital with the largest relative emissions is the largest hospital: Yale New Haven Hospital. We dive further into the emissions of this hospital, examining emissions sources based on equipment categories the electricity is being powering. This study finds that medical equipment is the largest contributor to emissions in hospitals. Reduction strategies should therefore focus on usage of this equipment as well as technical innovations to make it more energy-efficient.