Green Design

Leed Certification

Sutter Medical Center is going green! The new hospital design incorporates advanced technology, modern hospital design, green building practices, and current seismic construction standards. The project is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council under its LEED for New Construction program, and hopes to certify upon opening in 2014.

Resource Conservation

A comprehensive Construction Waste Management Program has been designed to recycle at least 75% of all construction and demolition waste from the building project. Many of the construction materials used will contain recycled content, and the amount will be tracked for all materials so that the project will be able to report hard numbers on this initiative. Every aspect of the hospital, including building materials, furniture, and equipment, is being evaluated to determine which products are the most environmentally sustainable for the design, construction process, location of materials, manufacturing process, deliverability to site, recyclability and other sustainability criteria. Once operational, the facility will not only recycle, but will also compost food service waste.

Energy

The hospital is participating with PG&E in their Savings by Design program – a win/win partnership that helps ensure an energy-efficient project. It will implement energy efficient envelope construction, lighting, heating, cooling, and power systems and benefit operationally from a state-of-the-art building management system which can monitor and control such things as humidity, air flow and exterior lighting. The hospital also has the opportunity to purchase power from renewable resources as a means of achieving a sustainable operating practice upon opening.

Water Conservation

Sutter Medical Center completed a High Efficiency Fixture Direct Installation Program, in conjunction with the Sonoma County Water Agency, to significantly reduce potable water use in the community. The wastewater treatment plant has already noticed a significant reduction in water flow, allowing the new hospital to open without impact. The hospital will also use low flow toilets, sinks and shower fixtures to reduce potable water use, as well as efficient landscape irrigation technology to water the natural drought tolerant plants only when needed. The storm water from the hospital’s roof will be diverted to bioswales and catch basins on the site, to allow rain water to slowly infiltrate back into the soil, re-charging the underground aquifer.

Green House Gas

The new 82 bed hospital will produce less greenhouse gasses then the existing Chanate facility. As required by mitigation measures contained in the EIR, the medical campus will implement a green house gas strategy that will encourage employees to commute to work in a more environmentally friendly way. The hospital will develop a Transportation Demand Management plan that will be designed to reduce the amount of employees, physicians and volunteers driving to work alone, including a carpool plan and preferential parking, electric vehicle charging stations free to employees, and incentives to use public transit, bike or walk to work. Sutter Medical Center will also coordinate with County and City transit agencies to develop the most efficient bus service to the hospital. Lastly, Sutter Medical Center will contribute toward a bike path that will result in increased bike travel and reduced vehicle travel.

Sutter Medical Center will constantly be evaluating other energy systems and technologies that may further reduce the project’s carbon footprint. Some examples of future potential evaluations are fuel cells, photovoltaics, and/or co-generation of power in collaboration with the Wells Fargo Center. Sutter Medical Center will take every aspect possible to create the greenest environment possible.