aircuity case study beth israel deaconess medical center · pdf fileaircuity case study b...

ETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER(BIDMC) is ateaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, located inBoston, Massachusetts, with a history dating back to1896. Today, it is best known for its excellence inpatient care, dedication to biomedical research, andstrong teaching and community service programs. Asone of the leading facilities in a city with a rich his-tory of medical and technological innovation,BIDMC had been looking for ways to lower its ener-gy use, reduce its carbon footprint and become amore efficient, sustainable organization.

BIDMC learned of Aircuity and its OptiNet® system,a comprehensive suite of intelligent ventilation meas-urement and optimization technologies, and decidedto install the system in the research laboratories atThe Center for Life Science | Boston, where it is theanchor tenant. The state-of-the-art life science build-ing is owned and operated by BioMed Realty Trust,Inc., a life science real estate company committed toproviding the highest grade environments with afocus on continually improving efficiency and cost.

The industry standard approach for laboratoryventilation is to provide a fixed or constant number ofair changes (using 100% outdoor air) to dilute anypotential buildup of contaminants within the lab,

ensuring the safety of the researchers. This approach canlead to wasted energy, however, by providing too muchventilation when indoor conditions are clean.

Aircuity’s OptiNet system allows for a variable airchange rate, giving BIDMC the assurance that theventilation rates could be lowered by real time

measurement ofthe laboratoryenvironment, andincreased ifcontaminantswere sensed, thusproviding a saferand more energyefficient operationfor theirlaboratories.

With the promiseof safer, moreefficientventilation in itslabs, and a rebateincentive availablefrom BIDMC’selectric and gasutility provider, it

made sense for BIDMC to get a jump start on itssustainability initiative by tackling the ventilation in itsfacilities.

A TURNKEY SOLUTION DELIVERED BY AIRCUITYBIDMC decided to implement the project in two phases:phase one would entail installing Aircuity’s technologyon floors 4, 6 and 7. Phase two included additional sys-tems installed on floors 5, 9 and 10.

Aircuity was hired to do more than simply provide thetechnology for the energy efficiency project – it wasgiven the responsibility to deliver a turnkey energyconservation project – from proposal to contracting toimplementation and use. Acting as the prime contractor,the company was able to provide BIDMC with acomprehensive energy efficiency solution for its researchand lab facilities.

“We were thrilled that BIDMC was recog-nized as the best research facility energyproject by the New England Associationof Energy Engineers.”

Mark Lukitsch – Utilities and Energy ManagerBBeetthh IIssrraaeell DDeeaaccoonneessss MMeeddiiccaall CCeenntteerr

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Teams with Aircuity and Wins “Best Research Facility Energy Project in New England”

Aircuity case study

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“BIDMC partnered with Aircuity,” said Mark Lukitsch,Utilities and Energy Manager at BIDMC. “They man-aged most of the project for BIDMC, and as a result ofthe work done on the ventilation system, BIDMC wasable to realize significant savings within the first threemonths of completing phase one of the project.”

LAB DCV LEADS TO A DOUBLE BENEFITThe Aircuity system’s Lab Demand Control Ventilation(Lab DCV) technology continually senses and analyzeslaboratory environments and provides ventilation inputsto adjust the air changes per hour (ACH) in those facili-ties as needed, moving away from a model of constant orfixed ventilation rates.

By reducing the air changes when lab conditions aredetermined to be clean, and increasing the ventilationonly when needed, Lab DCV helps to maintain safe andenergy-efficient ventilation in the hospital’s research andlab facilities. In addition, OptiNet’s continuous monitor-ing provides BIDMC lab managers with critical informa-tion about their airflow and any particulates in the airthat can then be used to analyze and improve lab proce-dures.

After implementing OptiNet on those first three floors,BIDMC quickly began to realize lower energy costs anda safer indoor environment for its staff.

FROM START TO FINISH TO PAYBACK IN LESS THAN ONE YEARPhase one of BIDMC’s project resulted in an annual sav-ings of $270,000; after completing phase two the totalannual savings totaled $640,000, with a return oninvestment of less than one year. The actual savings werewithin 1% of the Aircuity estimated figures calculatedprior to the beginning of this project.

BIDMC’s Center for Life Sciences has become a shiningexample for energy efficiency projects in research facili-ties. The New England Association of Energy Engineershas recognized BIDMC as “Best Research Facility EnergyProject in 2011”, and the project has been nominated fornational recognition. “We were thrilled that BIDMC wasrecognized as the best research facility energy project bythe New England Association of Energy Engineers”,exclaimed Lukitsch. “This has been a real success for usand we look forward to examining other opportunitieslike this with Aircuity.”

ABOUT BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTERA teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, BethIsrael Deaconess Medical Center is renowned for excel-lence in patient care, biomedical research, teaching andcommunity service. Located in the heart of Boston'smedical community, it hosts nearly three quarters of amillion patient visits annually in and around Boston.The medical center is renowned for excellence in surgery(including general, cardiovascular, thoracic, gastrointesti-nal, solid organ transplant and vascular surgery), withminimally invasive approaches to many procedures.BIDMC is also known for treatment of cardiac condi-tions, cancer and pulmonary and thoracic disorders; andfor their expertise in neurosciences, gastroenterology andliver disease, obstetrics and women's health, podiatryand emergency and trauma medicine. BIDMC is the offi-cial hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more informa-tion, please visit: http://www.bidmc.org.

ABOUT AIRCUITYAircuity is the smart airside efficiency companyproviding building owners with sustained energy savingsthrough its intelligent measurement solutions. Bycombining real-time sensing and continuous analysis ofindoor environments, the company has helpedcommercial, institutional and lab building owners loweroperating costs, improve safety and become more energyefficient. Founded in 2000 and headquartered inNewton, MA, Aircuity’s solutions have benefitedorganizations such as the University of Pennsylvania, EliLilly, Masdar City, the Bank of America Tower and theUniversity of California-Irvine. For additionalinformation on the company and its solutions, pleasevisit: http://www.aircuity.com.

55 Chapel Street � Newton, MA 02458 � 617.641.8800 � 617.969.3233 fax � www.aircuity.comAircuity and OptiNet are registered marks of Aircuity, Inc. BIDMC F030712

“Optimizing the ventilation in BIDMC’sresearch and lab facilities resulted in anannual savings of $640,000 and a return oninvestment of less than one year.”