Operating rooms (ORs) have significant HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) standards and requirements, yet the rooms tend not to be in use upwards of 40% of the time. As a result, an excessive amount of energy is wasted to maintain air standards for no reason during that period of time. Hospitals have an opportunity to save a significant amount of energy by employing HVAC setback strategies, which minimize the amount of air supplied to the rooms when they are unoccupied. The decision of whether or not to employ a setback strategy for a hospital’s ORs requires an assessment of staff usage, existing conditions, and associated costs.
The goal of the paper is to explain the concept of HVAC setback and main considerations for using such strategies.
The author mentions that hospitals must determine whether the benefits outweigh the costs of implementing a setback strategy. Especially in the case of retrofit projects, looking at existing conditions in respect to air flow control and HVAC configuration will help determine the extent of the upgrade required; upfront costs may be high and must be weighed against gains. Additionally, air change rates, pressure relationships, temperature requirements, humidity, particulate control, and user needs impact the decision about the type of strategy to implement, as well as the amount of control staff should be afforded.