Balancing Between Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency in Healthcare Facilities

This project proposes a thorough audit of the current heating and cooling supply methods in Nordic hospitals to recognize the primary sources of inefficiencies and thereby propose practical solutions to optimize the production and distribution of heat and cold within the hospitals without affecting the air conditioning service quality. One of the most critical components of hospitals for heat supply is the clean steam generator which is used for supplying clean air for sensitive rooms (e.g. burnt patients’ rooms) and thermal disinfection of medical tools. Therefore, the immediate focus of the project is to develop an efficient and cost-effective solar-based clean steam generator design. The system will take advantage of a solar semi-parabolic trough collector with a maximum temperature output of 160 C, which is sufficient for steam generation.