Our Projects/Healthcare/Large Urban Healthcare Campus
Healthcare · New York City
WEI developed and implemented a multi-phase infrastructure strategy to transition a complex operating healthcare and research campus from steam toward efficient hot-water heating, CHP, heat recovery and future electrification.
A large urban healthcare and research campus relied heavily on legacy steam infrastructure for heating and other critical thermal loads. Steam distribution losses, leakage and uncontrolled heat transfer increased both heating and cooling demand.
The challenge was to reduce energy cost and emissions while protecting continuous healthcare operations, research functions, redundancy and limited shutdown windows.
WEI began with detailed energy modeling and load analysis, then developed a phased infrastructure strategy centered on replacing steam heating with hot water, integrating on-site generation and heat recovery, and preparing the campus for progressively lower-temperature heating systems.
The conversion strategy allowed new hot-water systems to be installed, tested and commissioned in parallel with existing steam systems before legacy infrastructure was decommissioned.
Rather than treating decarbonization as a single equipment replacement, WEI established the lower-temperature thermal platform needed for efficiency today and electrification tomorrow.
The first major phase replaced inefficient steam heating infrastructure with hot-water systems and integrated combined heat and power. The lower-temperature platform reduced distribution losses, improved control and created a foundation for future heat recovery and heat-pump operation.
By 2025, the program had generated more than $33 million in cumulative utility savings, with approximately $10 million saved during 2025 alone. Campus greenhouse-gas emissions were 19% lower than the 2020 baseline, while chilled-water generation fell 18% as unintended heat transfer was eliminated.
Hot-water conversion reduced unintended heat transfer and control losses associated with legacy steam distribution.
Reducing unintended heating and integrating systems lowered the amount of chilled water required across the campus.
With the hot-water foundation established, WEI developed the next phase around lower heating-water temperatures, recoverable campus heat and high-efficiency heat-pump operation.
The strategy targets energy already available within the campus before relying on additional purchased energy, creating a practical pathway toward progressively electrified heating while preserving resilience and operational flexibility.
The program demonstrates how a complex healthcare campus can move from legacy steam infrastructure toward an integrated, lower-temperature energy platform without compromising ongoing operations.
ENGINEERED. INSTALLED. VERIFIED.
WEI develops phased campus energy strategies that reduce cost and emissions while protecting continuous operations.
