Furbish Sustainable Hospitals (FSH)

Research Project, 2018 – 2021

Hospitals stand for ca. 5 % of the EU’s CO2 emissions/year, being the largest consumer in the public sector. By applying the ‘Furbish®-method’, which focusses on user-centred and sustainable indoor environments, an innovative IR-sensor concept from RWTH and IEQ competence from Chalmers, energy savings of up to 40 % are estimated. Through combining evidence on human factors from patients and staff with building service technologies, interior design and workflow optimisation, the project intents to lay the ground for a new smart generation of low carbon hospitals of the future. This pilot study will provide unique insight for the adaptation of the Furbish®-method, originally developed at Chalmers for hospitals, to the healthcare sector, and additionally deliver representative field test data of the RWTH sensor concept at University Hospital MHH in Hannover/Germany. Along with energy performance data of the building, we aim to determine the real potential for improvement of user comfort as well as energy savings by demand side control.