Proving What’s Possible: Optimizing Operating Rooms Without Compromise | Past Event

Methodist University Hospital’s Shorb Tower opened with advanced systems designed to support compliance, patient safety, and operational efficiency. Yet, like many healthcare facilities, significant energy-saving potential remained untapped. Join Optimum Energy’s Alex Lee, P.E. and Methodist University Hospital’s Steven Atkins as they share the real-world story behind an operating room optimization initiative that successfully reduced energy consumption while maintaining strict healthcare requirements for comfort, pressurization, temperature control, and clinical workflows.

This session explores how the project team identified opportunities within existing infrastructure, addressed control and programming challenges, validated changes through a carefully managed pilot process, and ultimately achieved measurable reductions in airflow, cooling demand, and reheat energy without disrupting patient care or surgical operations. Drawing from actual operational data and lessons learned throughout the implementation process, attendees will gain practical insights into optimizing HVAC systems, validating performance improvements, and implementing operational changes in critical environments.

While this case study takes place in a healthcare environment, the lessons learned around HVAC optimization, controls strategy, stakeholder engagement, and energy performance are applicable across higher education, research, commercial, and other mission-critical facilities.

Key takeaways from this session: