Staff at Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg celebrate receiving Nova Scotia’s first ENERGY STAR certification for a hospital. Photo: Nova Scotia Health.
Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg has officially become the first hospital in Nova Scotia to receive ENERGY STAR certification, joining just six other hospitals across Canada with the designation.
The certification reflects the hospital’s commitment to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. In 2024, it earned a score of 92 out of 100 through Natural Resources Canada’s Portfolio Manager platform, meaning it’s more energy-efficient than 92 percent of comparable facilities nationwide.
“It’s a pretty significant award,” said Robert Barss, Nova Scotia Health’s manager of environmental stewardship. “It confirms our site is operating above the national standard when it comes to energy use.”
Barss explained that the score is based on verified utility data, covering areas such as heating, ventilation, lighting, and water use. “It’s not just about saving energy,” he said. “It’s also about providing a comfortable, efficient space for patients and staff.”
Barss credited several key upgrades for the achievement, including:
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A building automation system that fine-tunes heating, ventilation, and cooling based on occupancy and air quality sensors
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A full conversion to LED lighting, both indoors and outside
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A rooftop solar thermal system installed in the 1980s that continues to preheat the hospital’s hot water
Those changes have helped the site cut greenhouse gas emissions by 455 tons annually, comparable to removing 96 gas-powered cars from the road. Barss estimates the site is now avoiding approximately $140,000 in annual utility costs.
Hospital site lead Troy Routledge said the certification is a result of years of work by maintenance staff, administration, and key partners like EfficiencyOne. “We’re protecting both our public health and the environment,” he said during a ceremony earlier this month.
The plaque and certificate recognizing the certification will be permanently displayed in the hospital entrance.
Nova Scotia Health says energy-saving work is underway across all 43 of its facilities. Since the program began, it has avoided nearly $6 million annually in utility costs and cut almost 34,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
With Fishermen’s Memorial setting the standard, Barss says work is now shifting toward helping other rural hospitals achieve the same. “We always strive to do better,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”
