Taking advantage of free online classes

ASHE members recently reached a milestone in continuing education and energy-efficiency. They have taken more than 1,200 online classes through Energy University.

Energy University, a program from ASHE's University Program Partner, Schneider Electric, offers a series of e-learning courses available to ASHE members at no cost. The courses are helping facility professionals learn new ways to create energy-efficient health care facilities, which is an especially important topic as hospitals search for ways to reduce operational costs.

Energy University is one of several ASHE resources devoted to helping facility professionals cut costs and utility bills. The Energy to Care program, for example, is a benchmarking program that works with Energy Star's Portfolio Manager and provides a robust dashboard that helps professionals visualize data trends. Energy to Care also provides awards and recognition for hospitals that make significant strides in reducing energy use. More information is available at www.energytocare.com. Another important resource is the Sustainability Roadmap, which provides step-by-step guides on how to perform a variety of efficiency projects, including energy, water, waste, and supply chain initiatives. Visit www.sustainabilityroadmap.org to learn more.

Energy University complements these resources by providing continuing education for facility professionals. Three ASHE learning paths are available to help each member find the curriculum that will be most beneficial to him or her.

Technician Energy Management Path. This learning path provides an in-depth and comprehensive overview of the basic building systems of the power plant and controls. Before you can achieve maximum efficiency in system operations, it is vital to have a good foundation on the intended function and operations of each system — including boilers and steam systems, compressed air, fans, pumps, and building controls. A "how stuff works" course on each system provides staff members with the practical overview needed to spot energy hogs.

Healthcare Facility Manager Energy Management Path. This path includes a complete survey of the foundational knowledge that a health care facility manager needs to take control of energy. Topics include lighting, power drive systems, commissioning, measurement and verification, energy billing, and procurement. This learning path will equip facility managers to understand the available opportunities, have an educated dialogue with experts, prioritize projects, obtain approvals and funding, successfully select and acquire solutions, and follow up on results.

Energy Manager Management Path. Those looking to advance beyond the foundational elements and boost their energy IQ should take this learning path. It begins with a focused look at energy procurement and provides financial and measurement tools to maximize and sustain results. This set of classes will enable participants to find opportunities, understand costs and express financial benefits to obtain approvals and secure results.

To access ASHE's learning paths and the free online courses, visit www.ashe.org/energyuniversity.

By Deanna Martin, communications manager for ASHE; and Stacy Kimbell, health care segment market manager for Schneider Electric.

ASHE insight

Important monographs available

ASHE makes important resources available to members. Following are two recently released monographs that can be accessed by ASHE members as free PDFs at www.ashe.org/resources/management_monographs.

• Life Safety Code Comparison. The 2012 edition of the National Fire Protection Association's Life Safety Code offers new design and compliance options for health care facilities that didn't exist in previous editions. This ASHE monograph provides an exhaustive list of the changes in the new edition and a detailed comparison with the 2000 and 2009 editions.

• Room Ventilation and Airborne Disease. This ASHE monograph examines research on how room ventilation affects airborne-disease transmission in health care facilities. Farhad Memarzadeh, Ph.D., PE, examines findings that consider the effects of air changes per hour on infection transmission.

Design guidelines available to industry through ASHE

The 2014 editions of the Facility Guidelines Institute's Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities and the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities can be purchased through ASHE at www.ASHEstore.com.