Client Wexford General Hospital
Location Wexford, Ireland
Designing pathway projects for the future of decarbonisation in Healthcare
About the project
IN2 was appointed to deliver the HSE Decarbonisation Pilot Pathfinder Programme at Wexford General Hospital (WGH), developing a practical and phased decarbonisation roadmap aligned with Climate Action Plan 2030 and long-term net-zero targets. The brief required the development of a strategy capable of delivering a minimum 50% improvement in energy efficiency, a 51% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, attainment of a “B” BER, and a defined pathway to carbon neutrality.
Decarbonising a large acute hospital campus presents significant challenges. WGH operates continuously with critical clinical services that cannot tolerate interruptions to heating, ventilation or hot water systems. The engineering approach therefore prioritised system resilience, operational continuity and phased implementation, enabling transformation of the thermal infrastructure without compromising patient care or hospital operations.
The Pathfinder study was structured to provide the HSE with a repeatable framework for decarbonising acute hospital estates. IN2 developed a calibrated dynamic simulation model of the campus energy systems, validated against measured utility consumption, to establish a robust baseline and to test decarbonisation interventions before progressing to tender design.
The proposed roadmap follows a demand-reduction and infrastructure transformation strategy. Fabric improvements were first evaluated to reduce heating demand, followed by a staged transformation of the campus’ heat generation and distribution systems. The strategy includes integration of a heat-pump-led bivalent heating system, reconfiguration of the district heating network to enable lower temperature operation, targeted photovoltaic deployment, reinforcement of the electrical infrastructure to accommodate electrified heating loads, and implementation of campus-wide energy metering and performance monitoring. Ventilation systems were also assessed to identify high-energy assets, with kitchen ventilation identified as a priority upgrade opportunity through improved fan efficiency and heat recovery.
The modelling results significantly exceed the Pathfinder programme targets. The proposed strategy demonstrates over 70% operational carbon reduction based on projected 2030 grid factors, an 80% improvement in primary energy performance, and improvement in BER from C2 to B2, with potential to achieve B1 through additional photovoltaic deployment. The roadmap indicates that carbon neutrality for the campus is achievable in the early 2040s.
Through this project IN2 developed a technically robust and scalable decarbonisation strategy for a complex acute hospital environment. The work demonstrates the application of advanced energy modelling, heat pump integration strategies and campus-wide infrastructure planning to enable large healthcare facilities to transition toward low-carbon operation while maintaining operational resilience.
