Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals are among providers launching a program that allows healthcare systems to go solar and to offer solar energy to their employees, patients and community members.
Geostellar, an online solar marketplace, announced the launch of the Solar.Clinic program on Tuesday, July 12, at Intersolar North America, a solar exhibition, according to a news release.
Geosteller aims to reduce the environmental impact of practicing medicine through the program. The program was launched in partnership with Health Care Without Harm, which focuses on environmental health and justice in transforming healthcare worldwide, and Practice Green Health, a healthcare community that empowers members to increase efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care.
“We are very pleased with the early adoption of the program by some of the pre-eminent health systems in the country,” said Eric Lerner, director of the U.S. Climate and Health program for Health Care Without Harm, in a statement.
“Geostellar has a proven track record of working with leading U.S. corporations to provide this important benefit to their employees,” Lerner said. “Solar.Clinic provides an important opportunity for health systems to include their employees in their efforts to be more environmentally sustainable and to demonstrate climate leadership.”
Participating health systems get discounts on solar energy installation, equipment and financing for their facilities as well as the homes of their employees, patients and community members, according to the release. Geosteller provides an online support system for distributing and deploying solar energy in the service area.
The Solar.Clinic program, which also aims to promote economic development by using local contractors, also was launched in Gundersen Health System and Providence Health & Services.
"Cleveland Clinic, UH join online solar marketplace to go green" originally appeared in Crain's Chicago Business.