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BUSINESS NEWS UMASS MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE AND SIEMENS IMPLEMENT MASTER ENERGY PLAN TO ENSURE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY Siemens has begun work on the second phase of a 10- year energy performance contract with UMass Memorial Health Care, designed to align with the health care system’s master energy plan to reduce energy consumption and energy purchasing costs, while maximizing the use of renewable energy wherever possible. With Phase 2 underway, UMass Memorial is projected to save almost 2 million kilowatt hours of electric energy in the project’s first year, and over the course of the 10-year contract, it is anticipated to generate $5 million in energy savings and operational cost savings. When combined with UMass Memorial’s Phase 1 contract with Siemens in addition to other efforts, it is anticipated that the facility will generate a total savings in energy and operational costs of approximately $24 million over the next 10 years. UMass Memorial is the largest health care system incentral Massachusetts and theclinical partner of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. As an important health care resource for the area, UMass Memorial will carry out the facility improvements in two phases, while maintaining the high levels of patient care and quality that are expected by the community. Together, UMass Memorial and Siemens

have developed a multidimensional approach to achieving the health care organization’s objectives, including short- and long-term projects that will maximize UMass Memorial’s return on investment. The first phase of the project included lighting upgrades in hallways, corridors, and stairwells, followed by upgrades to the administrative, physician, and patient spaces in the second phase. To review the effectiveness of equipment, examine demand changes, and make recommendations for improvements or upgrades, a Siemens energy engineer is based on-site and embedded within UMass Memorial’s facilities team. “Our partnership with Siemens through the energy performance contract has already proven to be an effective and beneficial model,” said Gary Valcourt, CHFM, CHSP, FMA, associate vice president of facilities and capital planning, UMass Memorial Medical Center. “The goal is to establish a program that can be sustained for decades. As we update our patient and operating rooms, we know energy consumption patterns will change, but we’re relying on our partnership with Siemens to help build resiliency into our facility.” The project will also expand to focus on renewable energy planning that includes solar net metering, a process that allows UMass Memorial to use solar power generated

at offsite, third-party facilities. When fully implemented in the future, the solar net metering program will include 12 contracts, portable between buildings over the next two decades, allowing UMass Memorial to maximize its use of solar energy. UMass Memorial also plans to build a cogeneration plant, which will capture heat created within the Medical Center and repurpose it to generate electricity for the facility. “This project represents a great opportunity to help UMass Memorial Health Care implement its long-term master energy plan so it can achieve its sustainability goals,” said Dave Hopping, president of Siemens’ North American-based building technologies division. “The upgrades we’re completing will help the organization address its evolving facility needs so it can continue to focus on patient care.” Siemens has helped its customers realize more than $2 billion in savings over the past 10 years. The company has implemented more than 1,000 guaranteed performance contract projects for its customers, updating thousands of buildings with the latest energy savings technologies. Its energy services and solutions range from energy savings analysis, to implementation of facility improvement measures, to ongoing monitoring and verification.

out, the last post was three or four years ago on the day they opened the account. Usually, they post something like, “XYZ design firm is ready to take the Twitter world by storm!” And then the crickets begin. Please use whatever social media platforms your firm signs up for and remember to be social. If you are not using a particular platform, get rid of it. Job candidates are increasingly using social media to do research, ask questions, and give feedback. You cannot afford to not be listening. We’ve pretty much seen it all here at Zweig Group, so if you need any help or guidance give us a call. We’ll be here ready and waiting. RANDY WILBURN is director of executive search at Zweig Group. Contact him at rwilburn@zweiggroup.com. “You need to make sure that all of your social media accounts are up to date and that someone is manning them at all times. I can’t tell you the number of people that have said to me they’re on Twitter, and when I go to check it out, the last post was three or four years ago on the day they opened the account.”

RANDY WILBURN, from page 3

an acknowledgment of the problem. If someone is telling the truth, acknowledge that, too, and make sure you say you are aware of the issue and are moving quickly to fix it. Don’t stick your head in the sand and hope that things will just go away over time. They won’t. Second, you should run a Google Alert (bit.ly/2pBPqBu) for your company to track whenever information about your firm appears online. This alert can be information on new jobs, business promotions, a new hire, or a major issue that your company is involved in. It’s always good to keep an eye on things because your competition will be. Smart job prospects will be keeping an eye out, too! This approach helps prospective employees be better prepared to interview with you or determine that maybe, just maybe, you guys aren’t the best place to look for work after all. Finally, you need to make sure that all of your social media accounts are up to date and that someone is manning them at all times. I can’t tell you the number of people that have said to me they’re on Twitter, and when I go to check it “Please use whatever social media platforms your firm signs up for and remember to be social. If you are not using a particular platform, get rid of it.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER May 15, 2017, ISSUE 1200

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