A public hospital in Victoria, Echuca Regional Health, has completely redesigned its HVAC system as part of a $65.6 million redevelopment project.
The recent opening of stage one of the redevelopment was a major milestone in the hospital’s 130-year history of delivering care to communities along the Murray River.
The hospital has been providing health services to the Murray region since 1882 when the first patient was admitted but in recent years the facilities had become dated.
Echuca Regional Health executive project Manager Mark Hooper said the redevelopment involved rebuilding the acute care services and emergency department as well as the front entrance, pharmacy and health information services.
"The project allowed us to improve patient comfort, increase the building's energy efficiencies and lift the hospital's capacity by 66 per cent with bed numbers rising from 68 to 113," he said.
Construction for stage one began in 2013 and was completed in June 2014. Patient rooms now include an ensuite, computer and electronic call system for improved communication within the hospital.
Hooper said the HVAC system had been designed to create greater patient comfort by allowing them to control the environment in their room.
WSP Consultants associate Brett Seeney, who worked on design, said the goal was to create a 100 per cent fresh air system with maximum energy efficiency.
“To help achieve this the HVAC system design started with Rickard electronic Variable Air Volume (VAV) diffusers and the air conditioning system and energy recovery units built around them,” he said.
“The VAV diffusers help create a well ventilated indoor environment that maintains a consistent and comfortable temperature.
"Stage one of the project has 280 Rickard VAV diffusers connected to variable speed AHUs supplying air via insulated solid ducting. There is no flexible duct and the system uses static regain duct-work which ensures a constant amount of pressure to each diffuser.
The diffuser aperture opens and closes depending on the volume of hot or cold air required in the room and the resulting change in pressure in the ductwork signals the air conditioning system to speed up or slow down as required."
Each room has a VAV diffuser supply and return, with two supplies fitted in the larger rooms. "We were mindful that patients need to rest while in hospital and as a result the system pressure was reduced from 50Pa to 35Pa to remove all noise from the diffusers,"Seeney said.
Hooper said further energy efficiencies were gained by having triple glazed windows in the bedrooms and a rooftop solar field to provide energy for the chilled water system.
“The overall result is designed to achieve one of the lowest energy footprints per square metre of any hospital in Victoria,” he said.
The focus is now on stage two which will include an expanded emergency department, a six-bed short medical assessment and procedure unit and upgrades to maternity services.
It will also see construction of the pharmacy, a spiritual space, and an aesthetic landscaping design. The project is due for completion in September 2015.
The hospital provides services to an estimated 44,269 people in the Shire of Campaspe (Victoria) and Murray Shire (New South Wales) areas.
The Echuca Regional Health project has been so successful it won the 2014 Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) Award for Excellence in Innovation.
This award recognises significant Australian improvements in the areas of HVAC&R achieved through innovation.