Working on my first hospital energy audit and running into some billing complexity I haven't seen before. This is a 200-bed facility in Tennessee served by TVA through the local municipal utility. Beyond the standard electric service, they have separate meters and billing for steam service and chilled water. The steam billing shows a 'thermal efficiency factor' of 78% but I can't find documentation of how this is calculated or if it's appropriate for this facility. Anyone familiar with hospital utility billing structures?
Hospital energy audit - steam and chilled water billing questions
Hospital audits can be complex! The thermal efficiency factor is likely related to the steam system's heat rate - essentially how much fuel input is needed to generate a unit of steam output. 78% efficiency is reasonable for an older steam plant. You should request documentation from the utility showing how they calculate this factor and when it was last updated. Also check if the hospital qualifies for any special healthcare rates or demand response programs that could provide additional savings. TVA has several programs specifically for large institutional customers.