Digital retrofits can reduce total hospital energy consumption by up to 18%!
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delivering one of the largest efficiency gains for healthcare facilities. This finding is from a new study “Healing Healthcare Infrastructure: How Retrofits Impact Energy, Carbon and Cost,” by Schneider Electric Electric, a global energy technology leader, and developed in collaboration with JLL.
Unlike conventional commercial buildings, downtime is not an option in hospitals that run critical, life-saving equipment, HVAC systems and digital infrastructure 24/7 – all of which are highly energy intensive and must perform without fail. At the same time, facility teams are under growing pressure to maintain peak performance, manage rising energy demand and prevent disruption to patient care. In this high-stakes environment, the modelling shows that digital retrofits deliver the fastest and most scalable gains, unlocking energy savings equivalent to 10,500 kWh per year, the equivalent of powering 4 average* homes for a year.
The study is the most extensive of its kind, exploring energy, carbon and financial performance of nine commercially available Energy and Carbon Conservation Measures (ECCMs) across seven global hospital locations, each representing distinct climate zones and grid profiles. The same technology used to generate these insights can also help healthcare facility professionals assess their own buildings. Providing data-backed insights to prioritize upgrades, justify investments and even access funding.
Other key findings from the study include:
Rapid financial and carbon returns: Whole‑life carbon payback was achieved in under one year, with most projects delivering ROI in under five years
Dramatic reduction in heating needs: The right mix of retrofit measures saw energy costs cut by 80% in New York and 89% in Adelaide, reflecting climate‑ and grid‑specific optimization
Operational resilience enhanced: Building Management System upgrades and occupancy‑based controls improved system reliability, comfort and productivity alongside energy performance
Hospitals are among the most energy-intensive buildings, with the healthcare sector responsible for around 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Aging infrastructure contributes to rising maintenance backlogs, operational vulnerabilities and risks to both patient and staff safety – making efficiency improvements far more complex than in traditional buildings.
Hospitals rely on two critical systems – building and power. Within that context, the analysis identified that digital retrofits consistently outperform physical ones across the seven global regions in the report*. High impact building and power measures include:
Building Management System (BMS) controls upgrade (ASHRAE Guideline 36)
Occupancy-based zone controls
Power factor and harmonic correction
Power monitoring software
Power SCADA
Continuous commissioning
“Cutting hospital energy use by up to 18% is a major win when we know these facilities run high-energy, life-saving equipment every day,” said Jean‑Marc Zola, Building Segments President, Schneider Electric.
“Hospitals carry large, fixed clinical loads from imaging to ICU ventilation and refrigeration that you simply can’t switch off. This makes reliability a patient‑safety issue. Digital upgrades give facility teams real‑time insight and control to optimize HVAC and power systems, reduce waste, spot issues early and avoid downtime, improving comfort and resilience without disrupting clinical services.”