Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton New Hospital and Central Plant

The Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) Braselton Hospital, located in a suburb northeast of Atlanta, was originally planned as a 100-bed community hospital. The challenge was to create an all-electric hospital that could meet the growing healthcare demands of the community while being both achievable and economical.

The solution involved using a ground-source heat recovery system that leverages the earth as a thermal battery. This system recovers heat from the building’s chilled water system for building heat and service hot water. Boreholes, extending 500 feet into granite bedrock, store excess heat during warmer months, ensuring a sustainable and consistent energy source regardless of outdoor temperature. This system provides 100% of the building’s cooling, heating, and service hot water needs. Additionally, the hospital uses methane only for its kitchen loads.

The capital and life cycle costs were halved compared to traditional central plant solutions, resulting in $8 million savings over 30 years. The hospital has expanded to a 200-bed facility with the addition of a labor and delivery unit and vertical expansion of the patient tower. Cooling-only chillers were added to support the expansion, but the borefield continues to provide 100% of the heating needs. Another expansion is under construction in 2024, adding another 80 beds and doubling the ED, diagnostics, and surgery platform. The borefield has been expanded for additional thermal energy storage, ensuring sustainable growth for the next two to three decades. The hospital intends to transition to an all-electric kitchen during the expansion.