Lower Hospital Energy Costs in Aurora

Aurora's position as Illinois' second-largest city—anchored by Rush-Copley Medical Center (210 beds) and regional healthcare facilities serving 475,000+ metro residents—creates dynamic healthcare energy management challenges balancing rapid facility growth with cost control. Western ComEd territory rates averaging $0.062-0.070/kWh and typical hospital energy budgets of $1.8-2.3M annually demand strategic approaches optimizing modern suburban infrastructure while planning for continued expansion. Aurora's healthcare sector benefits from relatively new construction combined with multi-facility health system coordination delivering 15-25% energy cost reductions through systematic efficiency programs.

This comprehensive guide addresses Aurora-specific hospital energy optimization, exploring strategies for managing energy costs in fast-growing suburban healthcare environments, leveraging Rush University Health System and other multi-facility aggregation opportunities, navigating ComEd western territory incentive programs maximizing available rebates, and implementing proven efficiency measures adapted to modern campus-style facilities experiencing continuous expansion. We demonstrate how Aurora hospitals achieve substantial savings balancing current operations with future growth requirements.

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Sources:

• U.S. Department of Energy - Hospital Energy Alliance
• American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE)
• ComEd Business Energy Efficiency Programs

Aurora Healthcare Energy Landscape

Aurora's western suburban location and rapid growth create distinctive healthcare energy management requirements emphasizing scalability and forward planning.

Major Aurora Healthcare Facilities

Rush-Copley Medical Center:

• 210-bed acute care hospital, 400,000 sq ft
• Location: Aurora (opened 1888, major expansion/modernization 2003)
• Annual consumption: 30-35M kWh, 220,000 therms
• Energy cost: $2.0-2.3M annually
• System: Rush University Health System (5 hospitals, Chicago-area)
• Campus: Multi-building with medical office buildings, outpatient centers
• Recent growth: New tower (2016), expanded emergency department

Presence Mercy Medical Center (Aurora):

• 180-bed community hospital
• Merged operations with Provena Mercy facilities
• Annual consumption: 25-30M kWh
• Part of AMITA Health / Ascension system
• Opportunities: System-wide efficiency coordination

Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital (Geneva, adjacent):

• 159-bed hospital serving western suburbs
• Part of Northwestern Medicine (11-hospital system)
• Modern facility with integrated efficiency design
• System aggregation benefits

Aurora Healthcare Growth Pattern:

Population Growth Impact:

• Aurora metro: 210,000+ city, 475,000+ metro area
• Growth rate: 8-12% per decade (fastest in region)
• Healthcare demand: Increasing patient volumes requiring facility expansion
• Energy challenge: Growing consumption while improving efficiency

Facility Expansion Characteristics:

• Phased additions: New towers, emergency department expansions, outpatient facilities
• Mixed vintage: 1980s-era buildings + modern 2000s-2010s additions
• Integration complexity: Connecting old and new systems
• Opportunity: Leverage expansions for comprehensive efficiency upgrades

Aurora Energy Profile

Typical 210-Bed Hospital (400,000 sq ft, mixed construction, Aurora):

System	Annual kWh	Annual Therms	Annual Cost	% of Total
HVAC	16.5M	135k	$1.16M	50%
Lighting	6M	0	$390k	17%
Medical equipment	4.5M	0	$293k	13%
Food service	1.8M	35k	$145k	6%
Laundry	1.2M	25k	$104k	4%
Other	2M	25k	$165k	7%
TOTAL	32M	220k	$2.26M	100%

Growth Impact:

• Annual patient volume increase: 3-5%
• Corresponding energy growth (without efficiency): 2.5-4% annually
• Challenge: Implement efficiency faster than growth rate
• Target: Absolute energy reduction despite increasing services

ComEd Western Territory

Rate Characteristics:

• Energy supply: $0.040-0.048/kWh (competitive market)
• Delivery charges: $0.022-0.028/kWh
• Demand charges: $8-12/kW summer, $6-9/kW non-summer
• All-in pricing: $0.062-0.070/kWh typical
• Comparison: Similar to Chicago, slightly lower transmission

Incentive Program Opportunities:

ComEd Business Custom Incentives:

• HVAC, lighting, controls, process equipment
• Typical incentive: $0.10-0.15/kWh first-year savings
• Maximum: $500,000 per facility annually
• Rush-Copley historical capture: $250-350k for major projects

Strategic Energy Management (SEM):

• Advisor support for operational improvements
• Performance-based incentives
• Typical annual payment: $50-100k for Aurora-sized hospitals
• Focus: Low-cost/no-cost optimization

Prescriptive Rebates:

• LED lighting: $30-50 per fixture
• HVAC equipment: Per-ton incentives
• Motors and drives: Efficiency-based rebates

Managing Energy in Fast-Growing Facilities

Aurora hospitals balance current efficiency with accommodation of growth requiring strategic planning and scalable approaches.

Phased Efficiency Implementation

Challenge: Major expansions every 5-10 years create moving targets

• New construction brings modern efficient systems
• Existing areas remain with older infrastructure
• Integration complexity and budget constraints

Strategic Approach:

Rush-Copley Multi-Phase Program (2016-2023):

Phase 1: New Tower Construction (2016):

• 150,000 sq ft patient tower, modern efficient design
• LED lighting throughout (vs. fluorescent in existing building)
• High-efficiency chillers and variable-speed air handling
• Advanced BAS: Schneider Electric EcoStruxure
• Results: New tower achieves 220 kBTU/sq ft (vs. 285 existing building)

Phase 2: Existing Building LED Retrofit (2018-2020):

• Retrofit 250,000 sq ft existing hospital areas
• 4,200 fixtures T8 fluorescent → LED
• Integration with existing and new BAS
• Investment: $775k gross, $598k net after ComEd incentives
• Annual savings: 3.8M kWh = $247k
• Payback: 2.4 years

Phase 3: HVAC Optimization (2019-2020):

• Chiller plant: Add waterside economizer, optimize sequencing
• Connect new and existing HVAC systems under unified control
• Implement advanced sequences: Outside air reset, demand-based ventilation
• Investment: $385k gross, $275k net after incentives
• Annual savings: 4.2M kWh + 15,000 therms = $308k
• Payback: 0.9 years

Phase 4: Campus Integration (2020-2021):

• Expand BAS to encompass entire campus (hospital + MOBs)
• Central utility monitoring and optimization
• Consolidated alarming and troubleshooting
• Investment: $220k
• Annual savings: 8% additional through comprehensive control = $180k
• Payback: 1.2 years

Phase 5: Continuous Optimization (2021-ongoing):

• Ongoing commissioning preventing efficiency degradation
• Operator training and procedure refinement
• Annual investment: $35-45k
• Sustained performance: Maintain 21% facility energy reduction

Total Program Results (2016-2023):

• Energy reduction: 21% despite 18% patient volume increase
• Absolute consumption: Reduced from 38M kWh (2016) to 32M kWh (2023)
• Annual savings: $580k
• Total investment: $1.65M net after $625k incentives
• Payback: 2.8 years

Key Lesson: Leverage expansions as opportunities for comprehensive upgrades rather than isolated projects.

Campus Energy Management

Multi-Building Coordination:

Aurora hospitals typically include:

• Main hospital building
• Medical office buildings (hospital-owned and leased)
• Outpatient surgery centers
• Imaging and diagnostic facilities
• Central utility plant (if campus large enough)

Unified Energy Management Approach:

1. Central Plant Optimization (where applicable):

Rush-Copley Campus (400,000 sq ft hospital + 120,000 sq ft MOBs):

• Central chilled water plant: 1,200 tons serving all buildings
• Central boiler plant: 45M BTU/hr capacity
• Distribution: Underground piping to all campus buildings

Optimization Benefits:

• Economies of scale: Larger equipment operates more efficiently
• Load diversity: Different building peaks enable smaller total capacity
• Centralized optimization: Single control point vs. individual building systems
• Maintenance efficiency: Consolidated equipment and staff

Measured Results:

• 15-22% better efficiency vs. individual building plants
• Lower capital cost: $1,800/ton central vs. $2,400/ton distributed
• Reduced maintenance: Single facility vs. multiple locations

2. Campus-Wide Utility Monitoring:

Real-Time Metering System:

• Electric: Whole-campus meter + sub-meters per building
• Natural gas: Sub-meters on each building
• Chilled water: BTU meters tracking consumption per building
• Hot water: BTU meters for heating consumption

Benefits:

• Identify anomalies and optimization opportunities
• Tenant/department energy allocation (MOBs)
• Benchmark building performance across campus
• Verify savings from efficiency projects

Investment:

• 8-building campus: $85-125k installed
• Annual operational cost: $15-20k (software, analysis)
• Savings: 5-8% through enhanced visibility and accountability = $115-180k
• Payback: 0.6-0.9 years

Planning for Future Growth

Proactive Energy Management:

5-Year Capital Planning Integration:

Strategic Approach:

1. Anticipate expansion needs: Patient volume projections, service line growth
2. Pre-plan utility infrastructure: Ensure adequate capacity for efficient operation
3. Schedule equipment replacements: Proactive vs. reactive, capture incentives
4. Standardize specifications: Enable integration and volume purchasing

Example - Rush-Copley 5-Year Plan (2023-2028):

Year 1-2:

• Chiller #2 replacement (end-of-life, 2024): High-efficiency with economizer
• BAS expansion to recently acquired medical office building
• Parking lot lighting LED upgrade
• Combined investment: $680k net, savings: $145k annually

Year 3-4:

• Emergency department expansion: Design for 30% better than code efficiency
• Boiler replacement (end-of-life, 2026): Condensing boilers
• Solar canopy over main parking (150 kW): Offset 3% facility consumption
• Combined investment: $2.1M net, savings: $285k annually

Year 5+:

• Second patient tower (planning phase): Integrate lessons learned from 2016 tower
• Central utility plant expansion: Size for future growth
• Comprehensive building envelope improvements: Aging 1980s sections

Planning Benefits:

• Predictable budgets enabling proactive capital allocation
• Maximized incentive capture through advance planning
• Avoided emergency equipment replacement at premium cost
• Integrated efficiency vs. afterthought retrofits

Rush Health System Integration

Aurora hospitals connected to multi-facility systems benefit substantially from coordinated energy management.

Rush University Health System

System Profile:

• Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, flagship)
• Rush-Copley Medical Center (Aurora)
• Rush Oak Park Hospital
• Rush University System for Health (total 5 hospitals)
• Combined consumption: 110M+ kWh annually

System Energy Coordination:

Aggregated Procurement:

Before System Aggregation (pre-2018):

• Rush-Copley independent procurement: $0.064/kWh average
• Limited supplier interest (32M kWh individually)
• No system coordination

After Aggregation (2018-present):

• System-wide 3-year contract: 110M kWh
• Competitive bidding with 9 suppliers
• Result: $0.056/kWh system-wide
• Rush-Copley savings: ($0.064-$0.056) × 32M = $256k annually

Standardized Equipment Specifications:

LED Lighting Program (system-wide):

• Single fixture specification across all Rush facilities
• Combined procurement: 28,000 fixtures
• Volume pricing: $148/fixture vs. $165 individual hospital
• Rush-Copley capital savings: 4,200 fixtures × $17 = $71k

BAS Platform Standardization:

• All facilities: Schneider Electric EcoStruxure
• System-wide programming: Common control sequences deployable across facilities
• Remote monitoring: Central operations center overseeing all facilities
• Shared expertise: Troubleshooting resources available system-wide

Benefits:

• 20-30% lower implementation cost vs. individual facility
• Enhanced ongoing support and optimization
• Faster issue resolution through shared knowledge

System-Wide Benchmarking:

Quarterly Energy Review:

• All hospitals report: Consumption, costs, EUI, ENERGY STAR scores
• Peer comparison: Identify best and worst performers
• Best practice sharing: Top facilities share successful strategies
• Focused improvement: Bottom performers receive system support

Results:

• System average ENERGY STAR score: 72 (vs. 52 national average)
• Rush-Copley current score: 74 (good performance)
• Continuous improvement: 2-4% annual efficiency gains

Regional Healthcare Collaboration

Informal Aurora Healthcare Energy Consortium (emerging):

Aurora-area hospitals beginning informal coordination:

• Rush-Copley (Rush system)
• Presence Mercy (AMITA/Ascension system)
• Northwestern Delnor (Northwestern Medicine system)

Collaboration Areas:

• Benchmarking: Share performance metrics (anonymously)
• Vendor coordination: Group purchases where systems allow
• Best practice sharing: Quarterly meetings discussing successes
• Regulatory coordination: Joint responses to utility programs

Early Results:

• Improved ComEd incentive navigation through shared knowledge
• Identified regional contractor capabilities (LED, BAS, commissioning)
• Shared lessons learned preventing repeated mistakes
• Estimated value: 5-10% implementation cost savings through coordination

Practical Implementation Strategies

Aurora hospitals benefit from focused, systematic approaches appropriate to growing suburban facilities.

LED Lighting: Foundation Program

Comprehensive Approach:

Rush-Copley Case (detailed):

Assessment Phase (Q1 2018):

• Lighting audit: 4,200 fixtures identified for retrofit
• Operating hours analysis: 6,800 hours/year average
• Existing: T8 fluorescent, 72W average per fixture
• Target: LED, 28W average per fixture

Prioritization:

1. High operating hours: Patient areas, corridors (7,500+ hrs/year)
2. Moderate hours: Clinical support, administrative (5,000-7,500 hrs)
3. Low hours: Storage, mechanical (2,000-5,000 hrs)

Implementation (Q2 2018 - Q2 2020):

• Phase 1: High-value areas (2,100 fixtures) - Q2-Q4 2018
• Phase 2: Moderate-value areas (1,600 fixtures) - Q1-Q3 2019
• Phase 3: Low-value areas (500 fixtures) - Q4 2019-Q2 2020

Fixture Selection:

• Standardization: 6 fixture types covering all applications
• Quality: 50,000 hour life, 5-year warranty, >90% lumen maintenance
• Controls ready: 0-10V dimming, occupancy integration
• Volume purchase: Rush system-wide procurement

Financial Results:

• Total investment: $775k gross
• ComEd incentive: 4,200 × $42 = $177k
• Net investment: $598k
• Annual savings: 4,200 × 44W × 6,800 hrs = 3.8M kWh = $247k
• Payback: 2.4 years
• Additional benefit: $32k annual maintenance savings

Building Automation Excellence

Modern BAS Implementation:

Rush-Copley BAS Evolution:

Legacy System (pre-2016):

• Pneumatic controls: 60% of existing building
• Fragmented DDC: 3 different vendors, poor integration
• Limited capabilities: Basic control, no optimization
• No remote access or trending

Phase 1: New Tower (2016):

• Modern DDC: Schneider Electric EcoStruxure, 2,200 points
• Advanced sequences: Optimal start/stop, demand-based ventilation, economizer optimization
• Integration ready: Prepared for campus-wide expansion

Phase 2: Existing Building Retrofit (2020):

• Replace pneumatic controls: Additional 1,800 points
• Integrate with new tower system: Unified campus platform
• Investment: $425k
• ComEd SEM incentive: $95k
• Net investment: $330k

Phase 3: Medical Office Buildings (2021):

• Extend BAS to 3 campus MOBs: Additional 650 points
• Centralized monitoring and control
• Investment: $145k
• Annual savings: 950k kWh = $62k
• Payback: 2.3 years

Total BAS Program Results:

• Campus-wide integration: 4,650 total points
• HVAC energy reduction: 18% facility-wide
• Operator efficiency: Single interface vs. multiple systems
• Reliability: Proactive diagnostics reducing downtime
• Total annual savings: $380k

Chiller Plant Optimization

Waterside Economizer Addition:

Rush-Copley Project (2019):

Existing System:

• (2) 600-ton chillers (1,200 tons total)
• Variable speed drives (modern, installed 2014)
• Efficiency: 0.55 kW/ton average
• No economizer (full chiller operation all cooling hours)

Economizer Addition:

• Plate-and-frame heat exchanger: 750-ton capacity
• Piping modifications: Enable chiller bypass
• Controls integration: Automatic economizer/chiller sequencing
• Investment: $285k installed
• ComEd incentive: $118k
• Net investment: $167k

Chicago Climate Free Cooling:

• Economizer operation: Wet-bulb <55°F
• Annual hours: 3,800 hours (58% of cooling season)
• Energy: 95% reduction vs. chiller during economizer operation

Annual Savings:

• Free cooling: 2.9M kWh = $189k
• Reduced chiller wear: $18k maintenance savings
• Total benefit: $207k
• Payback: 0.8 years

Additional Optimization:

• Chiller sequencing: Most efficient lead chiller
• Condenser water temperature reset: Lower temp when favorable
• Additional savings: 650k kWh = $42k
• Combined chiller plant savings: 3.55M kWh = $249k annually

Final Recommendations for Aurora Hospital Energy Optimization

Aurora hospitals operate in dynamic growth environments requiring energy management strategies balancing current efficiency with future expansion needs. Fast-growing facilities benefit from systematic approaches integrating efficiency into capital planning rather than treating as separate initiatives.

Key Success Factors:

Integrate Efficiency with Growth: Rush-Copley's phased approach demonstrates leveraging expansions for comprehensive efficiency upgrades. New construction designed to modern standards (220 kBTU/sq ft) combined with existing building retrofits achieving 21% total reduction despite 18% patient volume growth. Every expansion project should include efficiency upgrades to adjacent existing areas capturing synergies and incentives.

Prioritize Quick Payback Measures: Waterside economizer (0.8-year payback), LED lighting in high-use areas (2.4 years), and BAS optimization (1-2 years) deliver rapid returns enabling reinvestment in additional measures. Aurora hospitals should target <3-year simple payback for initial projects building organizational support for longer-term investments.

Campus-Wide Energy Management: Multi-building facilities benefit 15-22% from central plant coordination vs. distributed systems. Real-time metering across campus (0.6-0.9 year payback) enables building-level accountability and optimization opportunities. Rush-Copley's campus integration delivered additional 8% savings through comprehensive control impossible with building-by-building approach.

Leverage Health System Connections: Rush system aggregation saves Rush-Copley $256k annually on procurement alone while delivering $71k capital cost reductions through volume purchasing. Multi-facility systems achieve 12-20% total cost advantages through combined procurement, standardization, and shared expertise. Independent Aurora hospitals should explore regional consortium opportunities for similar benefits.

Proactive Capital Planning: 5-year equipment replacement schedules enable proactive high-efficiency procurement capturing incentives vs. emergency replacements at premium cost. Rush-Copley's planned chiller replacement captured $118k ComEd incentive and delivered 0.8-year payback vs. reactive replacement missing incentive deadlines and accepting lower-efficiency units from limited stock.

Maximize ComEd Western Territory Incentives: Custom and SEM programs offset 30-50% of capital costs dramatically improving economics. Rush-Copley's $625k total incentive capture over 7 years reduced net investment from $2.275M to $1.65M enabling comprehensive program implementation. Target annual incentive applications matching capital improvement schedules.

Continuous Commissioning: Growing facilities require ongoing optimization preventing efficiency degradation as systems expand and integrate. Rush-Copley's $35-45k annual commissioning investment maintains 21% reduction through sustained attention to control sequences, setpoints, and operating procedures preventing typical 5-10% annual efficiency drift.

Regional Healthcare Collaboration: Aurora hospitals' emerging informal consortium enables best practice sharing and coordinated vendor engagement delivering 5-10% implementation efficiencies through shared knowledge. Formalize quarterly meetings and benchmarking exchanges accelerating learning and avoiding repeated mistakes.

Aurora hospitals implementing these strategies achieve 18-25% energy cost reductions ($400-580k annually for 210-bed facilities) while accommodating patient volume growth. The combination of relatively modern infrastructure, robust incentive availability, and multi-facility system resources creates exceptional 2-4 year payback opportunities.

Start today by requesting free ComEd Business Energy Efficiency assessments, implementing ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager benchmarking, and integrating efficiency considerations into 5-year capital plans. Fast-growing Aurora healthcare sector demands strategic management balancing current efficiency with future expansion requirements.