Alvin C. York VA saves millions through conservation initiatives
The Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee earned the ENERGY STAR Certification this summer with a score of 93 out of 100 saving the facility over $1 million in energy savings in 2023.
The medical center is the only VA in Tennessee and Kentucky to achieve this certification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ranks in the top 25% of buildings nationwide based on energy performance data.
“The EPA uses a score from one to 100 to determine a building’s efficiency,” Brian Garven, Assistant Chief of Engineering at Murfreesboro said. “Our score was a 93 meaning that we are 93% more energy efficient than properties similar to ours in the nation.”
The Alvin C. York VA Medical Center was built in 1936 and opened in January 1940 as a neuropsychiatric hospital for WWI and WWII Veterans. The engineering team, led by George Yousef, completed extensive upgrades and enhancements to improve the hospital’s energy performance in electrical, mechanical and water usage.
The team installed new piping to fix steam and condensation leaks, implemented tracking methods to improve the chiller and boiler plants thus conserving more water and electric energy, and installed energy-efficient LED light bulbs to curb overall usage.
Yousef was recognized by VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal July 27 for his efforts and leadership.
In the nomination letter, it was stated, "Mr. Yousef led the engineering department at the York campus in achieving the ENERGY STAR Certification. This was a two-year endeavor leading the team to focus on improving efficiencies, increased preventive maintenance, and correcting issues the right way every time."
ENERGY STAR certified buildings save energy, save money, and help protect the environment by generating fewer greenhouse gas emissions than typical buildings. To be certified as ENERGY STAR, a building must meet strict energy performance standards set by EPA and must earn a score of 75 or higher.
Certifications are awarded annually, so buildings must maintain its energy performance year-to-year to be re-certified.
“This was a complete team effort to get to this point. We had tons of project management meetings and discussions amongst the team, which proved to be the key to achieve this milestone,” Garven said.