Ross Wilkers
Here is the second part of our interview with Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens‘ federal business — Siemens Government Technologies. Click here for part one.
ExecutiveBiz: How should industry and government collaborate closer on energy initiatives?
Barbara Humpton: Siemens has set a goal to be the first major industrial company to achieve a net zero carbon footprint by 2030. We want to demonstrate our commitment to net zero ourselves at the global level. To meet this goal, we are implementing the same technologies and upgrades to our own operations that we are selling to our customers. We think this makes us a better partner to our federal customers already on this journey.
Both sides can cooperate through alternative financing strategies such as energy savings performance contracts, enhanced-use leases and power purchase agreements. With PPAs, agencies buy energy they need at market price without owning or maintaining the assets.
ESPCs are a powerful force multiplier as they help federal agencies reduce their energy use through investments in cost-effective energy conservation measures without upfront capital costs to reduce operating costs and retain savings.
Siemens has an ESPC with the National Park Service to implement energy and water conservation measures at some of our nation’s most important sites, including the Lincoln Memorial, National Mall and a number of historic battlefields.
Through another ESPC, we installed renewable energy infrastructure in the form of solar at the White Sands Missile Range that is generating 10 percent of the installation’s electricity requirements and nearly $1 million in savings every year.
Also through performance contracting, we built the federal government’s largest wind farm at the National Nuclear Security Administration’s plant in Pantex, Texas. Five wind turbines generate 65 percent of the plant’s energy needs and 47 million kilowatt hours of clean energy annually and cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 35,000 metric tons.
My hope is that as we in industry continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of these alternative financing vehicles, the government and taxpayers will become more willing to adopt them even more comprehensively.
We also work hand-in-glove with our government on technologies we will all need in the future like energy storage or advanced building control systems. When government shares requirements with industry, we can make better decisions about where to invest research and development dollars and then bring those benefits back to our federal customers.
ExecutiveBiz: Where do you see opportunities in federal healthcare?
Barbara Humpton: Healthcare is an important piece of the overall Siemens portfolio. Our global offerings include imaging, clinical products and diagnostics. We look for ways to leverage our commercial products and services for the federal government’s needs.
A wonderful example is our quiet MRI suite. This industry-leading innovation was developed through teaming with providers in a hospital setting that wanted imaging equipment that would not startle or frighten patients with a loud sound signature. Siemens developed these quieter devices and learned that they can also provide much more comfortable exams to service members and veterans who may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
On the federal government’s smart building efforts, the integration of building automation systems is absolutely critical to efficient and effective building operations, especially in a patient care setting. These systems can be implemented in both new and existing federal treatment facilities to ensure the fielding of sustainable healthcare programs and platforms.
Take one example. El Camino Hospital in Silicon Valley last year earned the ranking of the most technologically advanced hospital in the world by “Top Master’s in Healthcare Administration.” Siemens partnered with Allen Technologies to integrate building automated systems and controlled room temperatures to drive quality of care, improve patient satisfaction and reduce energy costs.
We deployed modules to communicate with the building automation system and control temperature set-points. One module enables the patient to control the room’s temperature from their bedside. The second module automates the control of occupied and unoccupied rooms through the building automated system to adjust the HVAC system.
This is a win-win-win, a trifecta of savings for the building’s energy and the provider’s time, while improving the overall patient’s experience. We want to bring these solutions to the federal healthcare system which has proven to immediate positive and tangible impact.
But our opportunities in the federal health sector are not just limited to what we sell, but also how we sell. We want to be a responsible corporate citizen. That is why recently implemented a major initiative to increase our work with small businesses and other channel partners.
