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Location

Wolica, Poland

Initiation date

20014-present

Sector setting

Hospitals

Mitigation initiative

The Provincial Specialist Hospital for Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis in Wolica, Poland, is a regional healthcare facility located within a 23-hectare pine forest near Kalisz. [1] It provides specialized care in areas such as tuberculosis, asthma, and lung cancer, with additional services in pulmonary rehabilitation and sleep-disorder diagnostics. Since 2022, the hospital has taken steps to improve its environmental sustainability by installing photovoltaic panels on every roof, installing heat pumps, and upgrading its digital infrastructure. [2] As a participant in the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals network, the hospital aims to achieve net zero by 2050 through the Race to Zero challenge. [3]

GHG emission reduction measures  

Scope 1 - Reducing emissions from heat generation

Deploying heat pumps, using a recuperation system for significant heat recovery in ventilation, completing thermal modernisation, and utilising a Building Management System (BMS) for energy monitoring.

Scope 2 - Reducing emissions from purchased electricity

Installing and expanding a photovoltaic installation. 

Scope 3

N/A

Key learnings

The high upfront costs required for investments in decarbonisation initiatives at the hospital have been a challenge, especially when only immediate financial returns were considered. A broader analysis is therefore needed to fully appreciate the long-term benefits, including the co-benefits of climate mitigation actions for other metrics, such as patient well-being and air quality, which the initiatives at Wolica hospital have successfully improved. [5]

In addition, Wolica faced challenges with photovoltaic panel installation due to the hospital’s complex architecture. It responded by installing both rooftop and ground-mounted photovoltaic panels and using up to six different panel mounting systems. [6] Hybrid heating with heat pumps and water retention systems were also implemented to further increase the self-sufficiency of the site. 

Initiative outcomes

Evidence of Success  

Overall, the hospital's ecological activities and investments between 2017 and 2022 resulted in a reduction of its carbon footprint by 106.58 tCO2e. The photovoltaic installation was expanded in 2022 to a total capacity of 199.35 kW by May 2023 and has reduced the hospital’s annual carbon footprint by an additional 69.66 tCO2e. The heat pumps launched in December 2023 are anticipated to have further decreased CO2 emissions by an estimated 78.71 tCO2e annually, but no further updates have been published. These efforts earned the hospital recognition as European Climate Champion and a Gold Medal in Climate Resilience at the 2023 Healthcare Climate Challenge. 

Co-benefits 

The implemented initiatives have brought several co-benefits. These include enhanced air quality resulting from reduced emissions. [3] Improved air quality, in turn, has a direct beneficial effect on patient health, as it contributes to the treatment of pulmonary diseases in which the hospital specialises. [4] Cost savings are achieved through lower energy consumption, improved energy efficiency, and the use of independent energy sources. On-site energy generation improves the hospital's independence from energy price fluctuations and increases energy security, supporting operational continuity and patient safety. [3] 

 

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This translation is generated by eTranslation, a machine translation tool provided by the European Commission.

Exclusion of liability
This translation is generated by eTranslation, a machine translation tool provided by the European Commission.