BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — October 18, 2012 — Under a comprehensive $4.9 million energy savings performance contract (ESPC) with Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN), the Building Technologies division of Siemens Industry, Inc. (Siemens) announced that Manchester Memorial Hospital should save nearly $500,000 a year in utility consumption. Manchester Memorial Hospital should receive one-time electric utility rebates totaling $592,451 and, in addition, is also awaiting gas incentives on the project that are being reviewed by the utility company.

An affiliate of ECHN, Manchester Memorial Hospital, in Manchester, Conn., is a 249-bed acute care facility offering comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services to communities east of Hartford, Conn.

“We have been consistently diligent in our efforts to find ways to reduce our costs; going green not only saves dollars, but also saves the environment,” said Peter J. Karl, president and CEO of ECHN. “With our strategic partner, Siemens, we are achieving this goal, creating a healthier, more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient facility that will better serve our patients and staff for decades to come.”

At the heart of the project, slated for completion by June 2013, is the replacement of aging oil-fired boilers with four new, extremely efficient, high-pressure low-emission dual-fuel boilers that will be primarily fired by natural gas. Siemens is managing all aspects of the project and will remove the old boilers and bring the new units online with minimal disruption to hospital operations. The new boilers are expected to save energy, improve reliability and significantly reduce maintenance and repair costs, which will help reduce the hospital’s fuel expenses up to 35 percent.

For the past five years, Siemens has worked with ECHN and Manchester Memorial to implement this comprehensive plan to save energy, which also includes the upgrade and retrofit of building lighting systems, water conservation measures, a new upgraded energy management system, and new high-efficiency chillers.

The positive effects of the energy efficiency improvements will be pervasive and long-lasting, not only reducing energy and water consumption significantly, but also reducing operations and maintenance costs by approximately $28,500 annually. Environmental benefits will also accrue as the program will help to reduce the hospital’s yearly carbon footprint by 5,308,357 pounds of CO2, the equivalent of planting 16 acres of trees or taking 441 cars off the road.

About Siemens

Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector, with approximately 87,000 employees worldwide, offers sustainable technologies for metropolitan areas and their infrastructures. Its offerings include complete traffic and transportation systems, intelligent logistics, efficient energy supply, environmentally compatible building technologies, modernization of the way power is transmitted and distributed, and smart consumption of electricity. The sector is comprised of the Rail Systems, Mobility and Logistics, Low and Medium Voltage, Smart Grid and Building Technologies divisions, as well as Osram Sylvania. For more information, visit www.usa.siemens.com/infrastructure-cities

Siemens Building Technologies Division is the world’s market leader for safe and energy efficient buildings (“green buildings”) and infrastructures. As a service provider, system integrator and product vendor, Building Technologies has offerings for building automation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), fire protection and security. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies

About ECHN

Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN) is a not-for-profit health care system serving 19 towns in eastern Connecticut. Its network of affiliates includes Manchester Memorial Hospital, Rockville General Hospital, Woodlake at Tolland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Eastern Connecticut Medical Professionals, Women’s Center for Wellness, Visiting Nurse & Health Services of CT, Eastern Connecticut Cancer Institute, and more. Visit our website at www.echn.org for more detailed information about the health system.