Energy services as a tool to promote energy efficiency in the health sector

This work presents the results and conclusions of a survey of energy efficiency practice in the health sector carried out in Portugal. According to the survey in most situations there is the interest and willingness for improving energy efficiency in the hospitals and health centers, but in many facilities the daily practice is really far from a rational behavior regarding the efficient use of energy. The results of the survey show that there are some effective organizational barriers to the dissemination of energy efficiency: despite costs, in general, are a concern of management, the costs with energy are many times viewed as a fixed cost to be paid without being questioned; knowledge and expertise about energy efficiency cost money and despite the potential savings, investing in energy efficiency is seen by the management board as an extra cost which associated with budget constraints contributes for a low level of commitment with efficiency; there is no current practice in making the employees´ part of the equation promoting energy efficiency; most times people care about the efficacy of the equipment but do not care about its efficiency. The survey also showed that there is the potential for promoting energy efficiency in the sector.