If you live in the San Diego region, chances are you have visited a Sharp HealthCare facility or you know someone who works there. Sharp is San Diego’s largest private employer with 18,000 employees and 2,600 affiliated physicians serving patients throughout the region.
What is remarkable about Sharp is not just that the organization is a homegrown nonprofit success story, it’s also a leader in implementing energy efficiency measures that are helping to reduce our collective carbon footprint and create healthier communities
Sharp HealthCare recently garnered the Grand Champion Award at SDG&E’s 12th Annual Energy Showcase, where the San Diego-based organization was recognized as the top leader in adopting best practices in sustainability.
Healthy patients, healthy planet
Under its All Ways GreenTM initiative, Sharp HealthCare has cut its energy consumption by seven percent per square foot and yielded energy cost savings of more than three percent. Donna Serpico-Thompson, vice president of business development at Sharp HealthCare, credited SDG&E account executive Robert Maderazo for helping the nonprofit identify energy conservation measures.
“Every dollar saved is used to create and improve programs and services to benefit the communities that Sharp serves,” Serpico-Thompson said
At Sharp HealthCare, energy-efficiency is not just about saving money, it’s also about improving the work environment so employees can better serve patients. After consulting with its surgical staff, energy-efficient LED lights were installed in 14 operating rooms, cutting down on glare.
And before making decisions on what kitchen appliances to buy, Sharp’s executive chefs test drove energy-efficient equipment at the Commercial Demonstration Kitchen in SDG&E’s Energy Innovation Center.
In total, Sharp’s completed energy projects have reduced its carbon footprint by nearly 18,000 metric tons of CO2 each year.
Besides energy efficiency, Sharp has demonstrated leadership in other areas of environmental sustainability as well:
- Through innovative programs, such as using recyclable cubicle curtains from patient rooms, Sharp has diverted 4.7 thousand tons of waste from landfills, equal to the weight of twelve fully loaded 747 jets.
- As part of its water conservation initiatives, Sharp has installed water-wise landscaping, low-water sterile processing equipment, and high-efficiency dishwashers and chillers.
Watch this short video to learn more about Sharp’s environmental sustainability practices.
This article is part of a series highlighting SDG&E’s 2017 Energy Champions. Click here to watch short video profiles showcasing how we’re working together to build healthier communities.