Their energy costs were high, the heating and air conditioning equipment was outdated, and they had limited money for capital improvements. Using Dormitory Authority financing lowers the interest costs, which allows the Center to implement more improvements. The new energy system produces real dollar savings, and they will have a more comfortable environment for patients and staff. Trane also replaced outdated heat and air conditioning equipment and electric humidification system. The Summit Energy Management System automates heat and air conditioning, allowing the Center's Director of Plant Operations, Harlow Wiese, to monitor temperatures throughout the center from a computer terminal in his office.
Reliability is of paramount concern to a hospital.
Under the new energy system, we will have electricity even when utilities are down. So if there's an ice storm, the patients at Lake Shore Health Care Center will be safe. Under the program, Lake Shore will make rental payments to the Dormitory Authority, but the payments are assigned to General Electric Capital, an outside lending source. The hospital has 550 employees serving residents of Northern Chautauqua, Southern Erie and Western Cattaraugus counties and the Seneca Nation on the Cattaraugus Native American Reservation.