Energy & Water

MUSC students, faculty, and staff can find more information on how to conserve energy and water at MUSC by visiting the Sustainability and Recycling section on the Horseshoe intranet under "For Everyone", then "Facilities."

Responsibly managing energy and water at the Medical University of South Carolina not only reduces our environmental impact, but also saves money which can be used throughout the enterprise to support our goal of improving all of the lives we touch. By doing our part to reduce our environmental impact, we are also reducing climate change's impact on human health. 

What MUSC is Doing to Save Energy & Water

Performance contracts ($2.5M in annual savings) — This is an innovative financing technique that uses cost savings from reduced energy and water consumption to repay the cost of installing energy and water conservation measures. Started in 2009, MUSC began its first performance contract using an outside vendor to recommend and implement savings measures. Improvements in lighting equipment, controls, water conservation, energy management strategies, fume hoods, and steam system improvements resulted in $2.5M in annual saving. MUSC is currently in-process on another performance contract with more information to come. 

In-house energy projects — Smaller projects by MUSC shops and departments help reduce energy usage. For example, MUSC Electric Shop used a $2,200 SCE&G Grant to change to more efficient LED lights in the Strom Thurmond building, resulting in $3,024 annual energy savings and less maintenance per unit.

Green building — The Bioengineering building is LEED Gold certified through the US Green Building Council. The MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion is anticipated to achieve LEED Silver status upon certification.  

Landscaping —The MUSC Grounds Department has made great strides in reducing water usage across campus. Some efforts include: smart watering systems using sensors and timers, watering at night, native and drought hardy species, rain gardens, bioswales, and "drains to ocean” markers.