The finding comes from a new study Healing Healthcare Infrastructure: How Retrofits Impact Energy, Carbon and Cost by global energy technology leader Schneider Electric, in collaboration with JLL.
The study points out that, 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. The study shows that digital retrofits deliver the fastest and most scalable gains, unlocking energy savings equivalent to 10,500 kWh per year.
Other key findings 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 per cent in New York and 89 per cent in Adelaide, reflecting climate and grid specific optimisation.
- Operational resilience enhanced: Building Management System upgrades and occupancy based controls improved system reliability, comfort and productivity alongside energy performance
Jean Marc Zola, building segments president at Schneider Electric, said: “Cutting hospital energy use by up to 18 per cent is a major win when we know these facilities run high-energy, life-saving equipment every day.
“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 optimise HVAC and power systems, reduce waste, spot issues early and avoid downtime, improving comfort and resilience without disrupting clinical services.”