Resilience is another key issue for healthcare. There can be no downtime when lives depend on the constant functioning of essential systems. Our building services engineering designs for the new cancer care facility at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg Sweden incorporate a back-up power system. One part of the building can support the other if required, and a rotating uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system gives the facility a critical power supply in the initial moments of a power cut while the diesel generator kicks in.
We also work with healthcare owners and operators to determine the correct level of resilience required depending on the building’s individual circumstances. Early conversations can avoid unnecessary expenditure on over-specification of resilience systems. For example, a hospital in the warm, inland climate of Phoenix Arizona does not need the same level of resilience as a hospital in New York City, where there is a higher demand on the power grid and the risk of serious climatic events.