Success Stories
Green Team News: Clinic Installs Solar Panels!
The five clinics of the Escambia County Health Department in Pensacola, Florida (@HealthyEscambia) earned their Green Doctor Office Recognition in 2011. Their efforts have been saving money and decreasing air pollution for more than ten years! This year, they used some of the money saved to buy photovoltaic solar panels to generate their own clean, renewable energy. Now they are saving even more money and more fossil fuels. We thank Greg Berrian and Rudy Lopez for leading this effort, and also their Director, Dr. John Lanza:
Escambia County Health Department
Website
The Escambia County Health Department (ECHD) in Pensacola, Florida, USA, is saving money using the My Green Doctor program and has twice been awarded the Green Practice Recogniton Certificate. ECHD studied its energy use for one year before and for one year after adopting energy conservation measures. The staff at their five offices improved how they use energy, water, chemicals, and other products, but their biggest savings came from deciding to turn off their hot water heaters at each their facilities. They saved energy every month. The annual electricity reduction was 125,000 kilowatt-hours, a saving of 5.2% and approximately $14,000 in the first year They continue to save more than a decade later.
Expressed in terms of 2025 U.S. utility company efficiencies, this reduction of 125,000 kWh would means the following decreases in air pollution for their community:
Pollutant
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
Nitrous oxides (N₂O)
Sulfur dioxide (SO₂)
Emission Reductions
41.3 metric tons
5.4 kg
155 kg
4.8 kg
These savings are the equivalent of more than 4,340 gallons of gasoline not being burned. You can read the entire report on what steps were taken and the savings: ECHD Report.
Fivenson Dermatology, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
https://www.fivensondermatology.com/
https://www.facebook.com/fivensonderm/
https://www.fivensondermatology.com/blog.html
Fivenson Dermatology was awarded the Green Doctor Office Recognition Certificate in December 2018, having completed the requirements of five Green Team meetings, five Action Steps, and five Education Steps. Their Green Team continues to meet regularly as part of each office staff meeting. One of Fivenson’s innovations was to create a Green Team bulletin board for the office where colleagues can learn about their Green Team’s project and exchange ideas. This is a great idea! We thank Fivenson Dermatology for adding to My Green Doctor this new Education Step!
