In November 2010, NATELI received a number of official letters from interested hospitals and insurance companies with requests for inclusion in the NATELI  project. The letters were submitted by the Georgian Center of Angeology and Vascular Surgery (a private hospital), the Jo Ann Medical Center (a private hospital), and from the insurance companies GPI holding, IRAO, IC Group, Curatio, and the Association of Insurance Companies. NATELI scope envisaged conducting energy audits and preparing energy passports for only six hospitals, which were completed by December 2010. The interest from the hospital sector was so intense that USAID decided to include all interested stakeholders into NATELI’s scope. By modification 11 to the Cooperative Agreement, 16 additional hospitals were included in the list of hospitals to receive energy audits and energy passports.

NATELI’s subcontractor, Sustainable Development and Policy Centre (SDAP), started work on the creation of energy audits and energy passports with a cost benefit analysis for 14 hospitals located in various regions of Georgia and two hospitals in Tbilisi managed by insurance companies.

Below is a list of all the hospitals that were assisted:

Energy audits were produced for:

• The O. Ghudushauri National Medical Center;
• The Jo Ann Medical Center (a private hospital);
• Maternity House named after St. Joachim and Anna

Also EA reports were produced for the insurance companies:

• GPI Holding: 4 hospitals located in various  regions of Georgia, namely in Stepantsminda, Bakurianai, Dusheti and Sagarejo;
• IC Group:  4 hospitals in Mestia, Tsageri, Khashuri and Oni.

These hospitals were considered for in-patients ranging from 5 to 148 people. The EA reports give recommendations to the owners/management of the hospitals on energy efficiency (EE) measures to be implemented in the hospital premises along with estimated investment budgets, cost-benefit analyses and payback periods. EE measures are different and site-specific, but mainly cover insulation of walls, ceilings, floors and roofs; installation of new windows, UPS units and lighting systems, including compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs; installation of modern heating systems, solar hot water systems, etc. The investment for different hospitals and diverse measures ranges from GEL 12,258 to GEL 1,214,592 per hospital that results in savings from 67,572 kWh/y to 1,507,037 kWh/y that in monetary terms translates to savings of GEL 10,222 – GEL 128,358 per year. The payback periods vary from 1.2 years to 9.4 years. If all measures recommended in the EA reports are taken into consideration at all 11 hospitals they will get total savings of approximately 3,984,896 kWh/y, equaling GEL 403,149 savings per year and CO₂ emission will be reduced by 1,685.1 tons per year.

Energy passport (EP) reports are produced prior to starting the construction of the buildings. At the initial stage it is possible to design the structure of the building with enhanced thermal performance based on the drawings of the building. The purpose of the task is defining optimal enhanced thermal resistance R-values for all exterior components of the building. An integrated assessment of the building geometry is done in combination with the building’s exterior properties: walls, windows/doors, floors and roof systems. The recommendations are provided for thermal performance of each exterior property separately and estimated energy consumption based on the EP. The cost-benefit analysis and economic calculations for enhanced thermal performance of the buildings are also provided by the reports. Certification results based on energy passport electronic program are also provided for each building.

NATELI produced energy passports for:

• Cell Technology and Therapy Center (CTTC) (private hospital);
• For Insurance companies 10 EPs were produced:
  • IRAO: 5 hospitals located in different regions namely in Zestaponi, Tetritskaro, Marneuli, Gardabani and Chiatura
  • GPI Holding: 3 hospitals located in different regions namely in Tianeti, Borjomi and Gurjaani; 
  • IC Group: 2 hospitals located in Bolnisi and Dmanisi.

If all 11 above mentioned hospitals consider the recommendations given in the EP reports, it would be possible to save approximately 1,618,455 kWh per year that translates to saving of GEL 89,187.2 annually. Also implementation of the recommended measures will reduce expected CO₂ emissions by 329.45 tons per year.

All EAs and EPs include cost-benefit analysis of the proposed measures and technologies. The EA and EP reports were submitted to the respective hospital managements for their further consideration into the construction/rehabilitation processes.

In September 2010, NATELI prepared an energy passport (EP) for the hospital Cell Technology and Therapy Centre (CTTC). On March 17, 2011, on the basis of the CTTC Energy Passport, NATELI allocated grant financing in the amount of USD 19,945.56 for the installation of an energy efficient lighting system on the hospital premises. The hospital is under its final stage of interior rehabilitation and internal systems installation.