The Local Clinic of La Graciosa and the Health Center of Yaiza, dependent on the Management of Health Services of the Lanzarote Health Area, attached to the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, have obtained the highest energy efficiency rating and, therefore, are listed as type A buildings capable of meeting their annual energy demand under normal operating and occupancy conditions with hardly any CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
The Engineering and Maintenance service of the Management has seen its work and commitment to self-sufficiency with renewable energy in health centers recognized, an initiative framed in the SCS Zero Emissions Health project. The team has been working for years on the installation of photovoltaic systems to promote savings and achieve maximum energy efficiency in the island's health buildings, an objective that these two health centers have now achieved.
Specifically, the Local Clinic of La Graciosa and the Health Center of Yaiza have achieved energy rating type A, the highest rating in energy efficiency and reduction of carbon dioxide and become a benchmark for the rest of the health facilities that, although they have obtained good ratings, are between the letters B and C of the efficiency scale.
La Graciosa, 0 energy consumption, 0 emissions
The Primary Care health center of La Graciosa was included in the REACT-EU project financed by the support program for innovation Horizon 2020 of the European Union, which aims at the energy independence of the islands. La Graciosa, together with the islands of Arán, in Ireland, and San Pietro, in Sardinia, was chosen as one of the three pilot territories participating in the program completely free of charge.
Within the framework of the agreement reached with the Health Management and this program, a photovoltaic installation of 7.4 kW has been carried out in the Clinic, which allows the generation of renewable energy and its storage in 23 kW hour lithium batteries, equipment that guarantees its self-sufficiency. The certificate certifies that its annual energy consumption is zero and the CO2 emission per square meter per year is also zero. In fact, it is emphasized that the electrical energy generated for self-consumption exceeds the electrical energy consumed to cover the services of the building.
Likewise, the new 8.16 kW photovoltaic installation that was placed in the remodeling works of the Yaiza Health Center has recently also led to the highest score in the energy efficiency certification and confirms that the building guarantees its consumption demand with renewable energies.
Among the facilities to promote low consumption and improve the energy efficiency of the Management's buildings, the one at the Insular Hospital stands out, with 35 kW of power with which a good part of the center's supply is covered.
To obtain these qualifications, the health centers of Lanzarote have successfully passed the inspections and verifications of a certifying entity and a verification process necessary for the certificate.
The manager of the Health Services of Lanzarote, José Luis Aparicio, is satisfied with the qualification obtained and points out that this achievement "responds to the commitment that the Management and its professionals have acquired to improve health activity and comply with the Canary Islands Health Plan, integrating sustainability, humanization, innovation and environmental care in each of the actions".
"This achievement is also part of the SCS Zero Emissions Health project and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (UN)", explains Aparicio.
