Despite being essential to our health, the healthcare sector has a large negative environmental impact. However, things are starting to change! As more healthcare facilities become aware of the potential financial and operational benefits of “green” techniques, they are placing an increasing emphasis on environmental sustainability. Hospitals looking to streamline their shift to renewable energy can benefit greatly from the business model known as servitisation, which is gaining popularity in a variety of sectors.
Servitisation: What Is It?
Servitisation moves the emphasis from product ownership to service access. Hospitals employ systems or equipment for a certain price, but the service provider keeps ownership and takes care of replacements, upkeep, and installation. Consider it as an alternative to purchasing a car through leasing. This is how the clean energy transition is helped by servitisation:
Manufacturer Incentives:
The manufacturer is motivated to make strong, long-lasting items because they make money from recurrent servicing bills. This change places a higher priority on sustainability across the whole lifecycle of the product, lowering waste and resource depletion.
Modularity and Circularity:
Servitisation promotes the design of products that are simple to maintain and update. This increases the longevity of the product and reduces the need for total replacements. Imagine not throwing away a medical device’s entire apparatus but just replacing its worn-out pieces!
Five Hospital Servitisation Opportunities:
Hospitals can embrace clean energy and environmental responsibility by utilising servitisation in the following ways:
Bringing Sustainability and Savings to Life:
Hospital lighting is a significant energy consumer. According to studies, hospitals spend between 20 and 28 per cent of their energy expenditure only on lighting. Servitized LED lighting solutions, such as those provided by Philips, can save hospitals a large amount of energy (up to 50%) and lessen their maintenance requirements.
Cool Planet, Cool Heads:
In hospitals, maintaining ideal temperatures is essential for infection control. A win-win solution is offered by cooling-as-a-service, or CAAS. Hospitals save money and the environment by paying for cooling according to usage. According to estimates, CAAS can reduce carbon emissions by 49% and energy consumption by 20%.
Using Solar Power:
By adopting solar power as a service, hospitals may make use of renewable energy sources without having to deal with the upfront costs and upkeep associated with solar panel ownership. The solar panels are leased and maintained by a servitisation provider, guaranteeing a clean energy source free from the burden of ownership.
Paperless is Effective:
Hospitals provide a serious sustainability challenge due to the enormous amounts of paper waste they produce. Hospitals may greatly reduce their paper footprint, increase productivity, and streamline communication by collaborating with digitalisation service providers.
Maintaining Medical Equipment:
Medical equipment is typically purchased by hospitals altogether, which creates disposal issues as patient’s age. By allowing hospitals to return used equipment for upgrades or repairs, medical device servicing reduces waste and advances the circular economy.
Obstacles and Getting Past Them:
There are obstacles to overcome while transitioning to servitisation models. It may be necessary to modify conventional procurement procedures as well as create new workflows. These obstacles are doable, though. Furthermore, hospital procurement giants, known as Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), are coming around to the idea of sustainability. Hospitals might prioritize collaborating with GPOs that share their environmental goals.
Conclusion-The Path to Success!
There is a big chance for the healthcare industry to adopt servitisation for both financial and environmental advantages. By showing that they are open to investigating novel business strategies, hospitals can take on a transformative role. In contrast, service providers must comprehend the distinct demands of the healthcare sector in order to customize solutions that satisfy their particular needs.
Hospitals and service providers can ensure a healthier planet for everybody by collaborating to create the foundation for a more sustainable healthcare future. SunSource, a top solar company in India, is dedicated to assisting medical facilities in transitioning to sustainable energy sources by providing cutting-edge solar solutions. To find out how we can assist your hospital in embracing a greener future, get in touch with us today!