The Evalueserve research identifies three persistent challenges in healthcare buildings – excessive energy use, poor air quality management, and water wastage – all of which could be significantly improved through targeted optimisation.
Healthcare buildings are among the most resource-intensive environments in the built sector, operating continuously under strict air quality, hygiene, and reliability requirements. These conditions place sustained pressure on energy, water, and ventilation systems, particularly in ageing facilities where inefficiencies are often embedded in legacy infrastructure.
The research indicates that energy consumption across healthcare facilities can be reduced by up to 30 per cent through improved system integration and optimisation. According to NHS England, the healthcare industry is estimated to account for 40 per cent of public sector emissions in England, with building-related energy use, water consumption, waste, and refrigerants responsible for a significant proportion of that footprint.
UK initiatives including the NHS Net Zero Strategy and Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme mean that healthcare facilities are under increasing pressure to modernise infrastructure and improve efficiency in both retrofit and new projects.
Excessive energy use remains one of the most significant challenges. Adoption of digital building management systems enables more accurate monitoring and control of HVAC and associated plant, helping facilities match supply with demand, reduce waste, and identify faults earlier.
Air quality requirements present a second major challenge. High air change rates are essential for infection control but drive significant heating and cooling demand, while inefficient ventilation in older systems can risk air mixing. Energy recovery ventilation systems help address this by transferring heat from exhaust to incoming air, reducing overall energy use while maintaining compliance.
Water wastage is a further concern, particularly in facilities with ageing infrastructure and high demand for sanitation, sterilisation, and cooling. Measures such as low-flow technologies, pressure optimisation, leak detection, and water reuse strategies – including greywater recycling – can significantly reduce consumption while maintaining hygiene and operational performance.
Evalueserve’s research suggests that the strongest performance improvements are achieved when these systems are addressed through a coordinated strategy, reflecting the interdependence between energy, ventilation, and water systems in complex healthcare environments.
Ross Crighton, senior aftermarket sales manager for Grundfos Commercial Building Services, North West Europe, which funded the research, said: “Healthcare buildings operate under some of the most demanding technical conditions of any built environment. This research reinforces that the biggest gains come from how systems work together – when energy, ventilation, and water services are optimised in a coordinated way, it is possible to reduce environmental impact while maintaining the reliability these facilities depend on.
“In many healthcare facilities, inefficiencies are not the result of a single system failure, but of how systems interact over time. Taking an integrated approach to building services, supported by better data and system visibility, allows operators to move from reactive maintenance to predictive, performance-led management, which is essential for both sustainability and long-term asset resilience.”