The NHS is under constant pressure to minimise its environmental impact, with energy efficiency and sustainability playing a key role in how hospitals are built and run. This, combined with ongoing pressure to cut costs, means suppliers have to develop new and innovative responses to evolving demands and expectations.
Designed to support the NHS in its efforts to meet energy efficiency targets, specialist medical engineering company MAT recently introduced the ECO-flow range of self- contained ultraclean ventilation canopies, which received industry-wide recognition in 2014 when shortlisted for two prestigious Building Better Healthcare awards, appearing in both the Innovative Carbon Reduction and Sustainability categories.
The new canopies significantly reduce energy usage and cost, without any reduction in the level of efficacy. Energy efficiency is achieved through innovative internal design and the introduction of infinitely variable-speed DC motors, while highly efficient centrifugal fans reduce the energy drain required for cooling. LED cruciform lighting has also been added to the ECO-flow canopies, which use up to 60% less power than other similar canopies, even in full ultraclean mode.
In addition, the new canopies allow larger clinical clean zones and are exceptionally quiet. They also feature an optimised control panel, which allows individual control and monitoring of the fan speeds and control of lighting. It also provides an alarm whenever filters require changing, and links simply to the BMS using the latest protocol. This means the canopies are not only better for the environment and highly cost-effective, but also very user-friendly.
Following the success of ECO-flow, later this year MAT will launch the skirtless ECO-flow DYNAMIC, a streamlined canopy that further underlines the company’s commitment to bringing hospitals advanced products that guarantee increased efficiency, whole-life cost savings and valuable additional operating benefits.
