By Dan Hounsell

Healthcare facilities managers continue to explore technological advances that enable their organizations to curtail costs while still improving service to patients. Just as high on the priority list for many managers, though, are the tried and true results that come from improving sustainability in the form of improved water and energy efficiency.

Tulsa County, Okla., recently launched a program to lower the cost of energy- and water-efficient construction, according to Fox 23. So on May 3, the Tulsa County Board of County Commissioners approved the first Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (C-PACE) assessment under Tulsa County’s Oklahoma C-PACE program for the new 40-bed Tulsa Rehabilitation Hospital.

Tulsa Rehab Hospital is an inpatient rehabilitation hospital from NKD Rehab, which qualified for the assessment by planning to implement energy efficiency improvements in the new construction project, including LED lighting, wall and roof insulation, efficient windows, high-efficiency HVAC and water heating systems and low-flow fixtures.

C-PACE enables lower-cost access to energy and water saving technologies, along with resilience measures and alternative energy, which can lead to savings in operational costs over the life of a building.