B UILDING & M ANAGEMENT
E LECTRICITY IN HOSPITALS : SOLUTIONS BASED ON ECONOMIES OF SCALE
V OLUME 3 I SSUE 3 S EPTEMBER - D ECEMBER 2019 G. S ÁNCHEZ -B ARROSO , M. G ÓMEZ -C HAPARRO , M. J. C ARRETERO -A YUSO AND J. G ARCÍA -S ANZ -C ALCEDO (2019). B UILDING & M ANAGEMENT , 3(3): 12-16
Where: C is energy cost expressed in EUR, E is energy
adquired expressed in MWh, and DMP is the daily market
price of the energy expressed in EUR/MWh.
A consumer association option allows a group of consumers to
add their consumption and resources. As advantages, firstly,
we can highlight association makes to reach the minimum
annual consumption possible. Secondly, the group can
negotiate a greater volume of energy in order to obtain
prices that are more competitive. The main disadvantage is
again the justification of guarantees before the system
operator.
On the one hand, swap is a funding option as the contracting
parties exchange a variable energy price for a fixed one. In
this case, a hospital would receive a certain volume of
variable-cost energy for a period of time in exchange for a
fixed price. The fixed price is determined based on
predictions based on current future prices. Therefore, a cost
balance showed in Equation (3) is carried out to satisfy the
deficit part at the end of the period. Through swap there is a
less significant variation in the cost to the consumer in the face
of large variations in the daily price. It also implies a risk
relative to forecasts, since it implies a penalty if the
consumption is overcovered or undercovered.
On the one hand, integration of the architectural design and
the building installations is proposed as an option that can
generate an almost zero energy building, however, are
strategic decisions taken before the construction of the same
[20]. On the other hand, the prediction of energy consumption
is a complementary tool for making supply decisions and
developing energy efficiency measures, so there are works
that apply artificial intelligence to the prediction of energy
consumption [21, 22]. In order to reduce carbon footprint
derived, efforts should be made to promote in the process of
contracting electricity supply that most of them come from
renewable sources, such as photovoltaic or wind [23], including
environmental clauses in the contracting process [24].
(3)
Where: SWAP is expressed in EUR, eSWAP is energy
expressed in MW, DPM is expressed in EUR/MWh, and
cSWAP is expressed in EUR/MWh.
4. C ONCLUSIONS
On the other hand, PPA coverage is specific to long-term
contracts (> 5 years). This option has an eminent financial
nature and is being used as a guarantee for financing energy
generating plants from renewable sources.
The possibilities of managing the purchase of energy have
been presented to large consumers, such as hospitals. To have
personnel qualified to assume the responsibility of studying the
different modalities of purchase that the traditional fixed
contract or indexed with a marketing company will bring an
enormous benefit to the hospital management.
It provides long-term certainty for both the generator and the
consumer. Through this contract, a seller can secure the income
of a certain economic amount to, generally, finance its
generating plant and a buyer assures the cost of supply
during the time of the contract. As in the case of SWAP,
defining an expected generation-consumption scenario will be
the most beneficial for the hospital manager. This central
scenario is defined with a tolerance range. A cost calculation
criterion is established for consumption scenarios that are not
contemplated.
The very specific tools, such as coverages, which are very
unknown to hospital managers, are really interesting in order
to reduce risk by guaranteeing a steady cost of energy. The
possibility of becoming a direct consumer is an advantageous
option in terms of the reduction of tax burdens that involves.
5. A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Becoming a direct consumer offers the possibility of going
directly to the daily market to purchase energy according to
your consumption forecast. In this way, the consumer pays the
energy at the agreed price plus the costs of the system. It is an
opportunity to reduce costs if healthcare engineers dispose an
adequate consumption forecast, thus avoiding penalties for
detours. Not having to participate in other costs of the system
(such as efficiency, social bonus, etc.) is the great advantage
of this modality. This can translate into a saving of 1 EUR/
MWh compared to contracts made through a sales company.
In contrast, there are disadvantages, for example: a direct
consumer must present guarantees to the electricity system
operator, and their annual consumption must be more than 4
GWh. Within this option, serious modalities are presented,
such us not having a representative, have a representative in
its own name or in someone else's name.
The authors would like to acknowledge the European Social
Fund and the University of Extremadura for supporting this
research work. This study has been carried out through the GR
-18029 research project linked to the VI Regional Plan for
Research, Technological Development and Innovation of the
Autonomous Community of Extremadura 2017-2020.
6. R EFERENCES
[1] J. W. Bujak, «Production of waste energy and heat in hospital facilities,»
Energy, vol. 91, pp. 350-362, 2015.
[2] Singer, Brett C. «Hospital Energy Benchmarking Guidance-Version 1.0»,
Berkeley, CA, 2009.
[3] Instituto para la Diversificación y el Ahorro Energético, Informe anual de
consumos energéticos (2015).
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