Albury and Wagga Wagga Base Hospitals – Detailed Feasibility Study Review

Date: 1990 – ongoing
Client:  AGL

Albury and Wagga Wagga hospitals are the largest hospitals within the Greater Murray Area Heath Service, which services much of south-western New South Wales, Australia.  Albury Hospital is a modern facility of around 17,000 m2, while Wagga Wagga Hospital is a complex campus of buildings built across the past 60 years.

Exergy were commissioned by AGL to review previous reports and provide a more detailed engineering assessment of the feasibility of implementing energy conservation measures identified, as part of the commencement of an energy performance contract.

Exergy’s analysis identified some significant deficiencies in the previous work, which led to us revisiting many of the savings estimates and discarding a number of non-viable measures.  Based on the results of our work, the Greater Murray Area Health Service and AGL entered into a 7 year energy performance contract with AGL.  AGL are contracted to deliver total savings of $188,000 annually against capital expenditure on energy conservation measures of just over $1m. 

Exergy were subsequently also engaged by AGL to prepare the documentation and call for tenders for the capital works required under the various energy conservation measures recommended as part of the program.

Exergy maintain an involvement in the project through the provision of consulting and commissioning advice as the energy conservation measures are completed as well as providing ongoing monitoring and verification services to determine performance against predicted savings. Key areas where savings are being delivered include:

• Lighting power density and control;
• Improvement of air conditioning controls; and
• Optimisation of chiller and boiler systems.

Above, Albury Hospital. Built in the mid 1990s, Albury Base hospital is a modern facility serving a medium sized regional centre.