The first Australian installation of Siemens Demand Flow energy optimisation system at Robina Hospital in Queensland is already 65% ahead of targets and on track to save enough electricity in its first 12 months to run the MCG light towers for a year.

One of Siemens’ intelligent infrastructure solutions, Demand Flow is a proven variable pressure curve technology that optimises chiller plant control systems to reduce total plant energy consumption of between 20 and 50%.

The first four months review of the new system installed at Robina Hospital saw an average of 24% reduction in total consumption of the chiller plant at the Gold Coast hospital.
This has resulted in the hospital reducing energy consumption by 367,154 kilowatt hours (kWh) in four months, more than 65% ahead of the set target for the period of 221,314 kWh. Robina Hospital has verified the first month’s savings as a 7.04% reduction in total consumption for the hospital.

Siemens general manager of building technologies Stefan Schwab says the excellent outcomes meant the Siemens Demand Flow technology was delivering results ahead of its targeted savings.

“We are well on track to achieve the annual target of reducing energy usage by 792,091 kWh, and the resultant $95,051 cost saving. We have already achieved 367,154 (46.35%) of the annual guarantee figure of 792,091 kWh in just four months, we are confident of hitting the guaranteed payback period of 3.3 years in an even shorter period,” says Stefan.

Gold Coast Health senior director of operational support services Nigel Hoy says the health service was delighted by the initial savings delivered by the Siemens Demand Flow.

“We were looking for ways to reduce the hospital’s energy consumption and were impressed by the results Demand Flow had achieved in hospitals around the world,” he said.

“In addition to significant energy savings, the work Siemens carried out at Robina provided the opportunity for us to consolidate chilled water infrastructure from three separate chilled water plants into one. This has resulted in a reduction to the ongoing maintenance requirements and costs for the facility.”

Stefan Schwab said the performance of the Demand Flow installation at Robina demonstrated why Siemens is the technology partner of choice for energy efficient infrastructure.

“Demand Flow is one of the most innovative examples of Siemens energy optimisation I have seen. It’s the latest example of how Siemens harnesses innovation to provide lowest total cost of ownership, and why we’ve installed more than 800 building automation systems around the country, including more than 50 hospitals,” he said.