Columbus, Ohio - 43215 (April 13, 2021) – The Ohio Hospital Association is the recipient of the 2021 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. This is the third consecutive year OHA Energy & Sustainability Program received this national recognition.

The Sustained Excellence award is the highest honor bestowed by the ENERGY STAR program. Winners are part of a distinguished group that has made a long-term commitment to fighting climate change and protecting public health through energy efficiency. They are among the nation’s leaders in driving value for the environment, the economy, and the American people. 

“This national recognition is a testament of the commitment and investment of our member hospitals to excellence in energy efficiency,” said Nolan Rutschilling, director of OHA’s Energy & Sustainability Program. “Our energy program’s mission is to optimize operating costs to be more environmentally sustainable. In 2020, 21 Ohio hospitals received ENERGY STAR certification, a recognition for hospitals in the top echelon of energy efficiency performance. With 21, Ohio had more ENERGY STAR Certified hospitals than any other state in the nation, and 25% of all certified hospitals in the country are located in Ohio. We appreciate the hard work and determination of our participating hospitals and our partners to continue implementing programs and strategies for energy efficiency leading to stronger health care investments in our communities.”

Hospitals are incredibly energy-intensive facilities utilizing significant quantities of lights, HVAC controls and complex medical machinery and equipment. In 2019 Ohio hospitals provided care through more 35.7 million patient encounters. In 2020, participating members achieved $8.8 million in energy savings, rebates and educational benefits from the program. Member hospitals have access to complimentary services such as ENERGYSTAR Benchmarking, advocacy, energy rebates and energy procurement. From exploring ways to reduce energy consumption, to offsetting improvement costs with negotiated rebates, OHA’s energy experts have helped hospitals lower their carbon footprint while achieving operational efficiencies.

“ENERGY STAR award-winning partners are showing the world that delivering real climate solutions makes good business sense and promotes job growth,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Many of them have been doing it for years, inspiring all of us who are committed to tackling the climate crisis and leading the way to a clean energy economy.” Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2021 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $450 billion in energy costs and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. Click here for more information about ENERGY STAR or click here about its members. EPA media contact: Enesta Jones, Press Officer; Jones.Enesta@epa.gov. 

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