EarlyBird Power Secures Mercy Hospital $223,000 in Energy Efficiency Grants
January 4, 2013
EarlyBird Power, an energy market expert and energy management solutions firm, has successfully procured a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation for the replacement of two chillers at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, one of the Chicago’s leading non-profit care centers and hospitals.
As an energy consultant, EarlyBird Power specializes in helping its clients improve their energy efficiency. EarlyBird worked with Mercy to help determine that new chillers would improve efficiency within the hospital significantly. EarlyBird thoroughly researched all available rebate and incentive grants.
On behalf of Mercy, EarlyBird, discovered all applicable grants, and initiated the grant process with the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. The application was accepted. The grant program for the new chiller installations resulted in $84,000 awarded to the hospital.
“The Foundation applauds Mercy’s efforts to be one of Chicago’s most energy efficient hospitals. EarlyBird Power presented Mercy’s hospital’s chiller project for review and given the significant energy savings generated through increased efficiency, it was eligible to apply for our grant. It was a pleasure working with all parties throughout the grant process,” stated Bob Romo, Senior Program Officer with the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.
This grant was in addition to other grants EarlyBird secured through the ComEd Smart Ideas Program from which Mercy received an additional $139,000. These grants directly reduced the costs of the upgrades and dramatically shortened payback periods.
“EarlyBird Power’s ability to find and secure any and all applicable rebates has allowed Mercy to utilize the most energy efficient equipment available in our continued effort reduce emissions and be a leading green healthcare provider in the city of Chicago,” said Rick Cerceo, COO of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center.
Shaun Pandit, CEO of EarlyBird Power, stated, “EarlyBird Power understands the importance of Mercy Hospital to their community in the city of Chicago. We are proud of our accomplishments in procuring grants that directly lowered the costs for new extremely energy efficient chillers, and the benefits those savings produce for Mercy’s efforts to provide affordable excellent heath care to their community.”
About the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation
The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation was established in December 1999 as an independent foundation with a $225 million endowment provided by Commonwealth Edison. The Foundation exists to improve energy efficiency, advance the development of renewable energy resources and protect natural areas for people in communities all across Illinois. Over the past decade, the Foundation has steadily grown its support of clean energy investments in Illinois through a widening array of programs. Since its first sets of grants in 2001, the Foundation has awarded over 3,600 grants, totaling $212 million, to Illinois nonprofit organizations, schools, municipalities and other local and state government agencies. The grants support activities in every one of Illinois’ 102 counties. For more information, visit http://www.illinoiscleanenergy.org.
About Mercy Hospital & Medical Center
Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Chicago’s first teaching hospital, has served Chicago for 160 years. With 320 staffed beds, Mercy is a Level II Trauma center, complete with a comprehensive network including the Mercy Family Health Center, a look-alike Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), the Mercy Foundation, Inc., the philanthropic arm of the hospital, eleven auxiliary care facilities, MercyWORKS occupational health program, and two school-based health centers in Wendell Phillips and Dunbar Vocational Career Academies. Mercy has a teaching affiliation with the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Chicago. Mercy is home to a superior Cardiovascular Institute with an Accredited Chest Pain Center and where the first FDA-approved carotid artery stenting procedure in Chicago took place. Mercy is also the first hospital in Chicago where Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site Surgeries are performed. Committed to the care of its communities, for the past 6 years, Mercy has served as the lead agency for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program screening and treating more women than any other agency in the state of Illinois. Mercy continues its legacy of being a leader in Patient Safety with a Stage 6 Designation of the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model, putting Mercy within the top 3.5% of hospitals in the nation. Mercy is also home to a certified Stroke Center, a Diabetes Treatment Center Accredited for Excellence and a leading Cancer Center also Accredited for Excellence. To learn more about Mercy, visit www.mercy-chicago.org or become a fan of the Mercy Hospital Facebook page at www. Facebook.com/MercyChicago
About EarlyBird Power
EarlyBird Power is an energy market expert that provides energy management and sustainability solutions to commercial, municipal, and industrial clients across the U.S. A licensed broker in natural gas and electricity in every deregulated market, EarlyBird uses its energy market expertise and key relationships with many wholesale suppliers to help clients save money and go green. EarlyBird continually monitors market opportunities or risks, market trends, and pricing to serve clients every step of the way. EarlyBird also acts as an energy consultant, researching available utility, federal, and state efficiency programs of which its clients can take advantage, highlighting the programs’ specifications, applicable efficient technologies, incentive amounts, and equipment requirements, resulting in savings and efficiency improvements. For more information, visitwww.earlybirdpower.com.
