Supporting hospital energy efficiency and long-term performance at McGill University Health Centre

When developing the Glen Site in Montréal, McGill University Health Centre needed to deliver a state-of-the-art academic healthcare facility within a fixed budget.

The organization sought to achieve LEED® certification for both new construction and ongoing operations while meeting a contractual energy performance guarantee. At the same time, it needed to secure the lowest possible total cost of ownership over a 30-year term and maintain reliable operation of critical healthcare infrastructure serving a 500-bed hospital.

Another key objective was to transfer facility-condition risk to an experienced long-term partner while ensuring the continuous performance of essential building systems that support patient care, medical education, and research activities.

To support its long-term goals for hospital energy efficiency, operational reliability, and asset performance, McGill University Health Centre partnered with Johnson Controls through a comprehensive 30-year lifecycle, operations, and facilities management agreement. Under this agreement, Johnson Controls is responsible for operating, maintaining, and managing thef the Glen Site's critical building systems, allowing hospital staff to stay focused on patient care, teaching, and research.

The Glen Site implemented an integrated portfolio of building technologies, including:

• Metasys Building Automation System
• Simplex Fire Alarm System
• Simplex Nurse Call and Paging Systems
• CCTV Systems
• Access Control Systems

Building design and equipment selection were optimized to reduce total cost of ownership across the facility lifecycle. Ongoing performance monitoring and operational oversight helped validate energy-saving strategies, support continuous improvement, and maintain performance across critical healthcare systems.

More than 12 years after opening, the Glen Site continues to demonstrate strong operational and sustainability performance.

Through ongoing optimization and monitoring of critical building systems by Johnson Controls, McGill University Health Centre has maintained reliable healthcare operations while reducing energy consumption and supporting long-term performance objectives. Energy use remains below the North American acute care hospital average, helping the organization advance both operational and financial goals.

Key outcomes:

• Nearly $500,000 in annual energy savings
• Achievement of a second LEED® Gold certification, making the facility the first in Quebec to earn this distinction in 2019
• A guaranteed energy intensity of 1.65 GJ/m² across the complex
• More than 12 years of operation with minimal downtime on electromechanical systems, supported by KPI uptime guarantees
• Energy consumption maintained below the North American acute care hospital average

These results demonstrate how a long-term focus on hospital energy efficiency, operational performance, and lifecycle management can help healthcare facilities meet sustainability goals while supporting reliable patient care environments.

McGill University Health Centre is one of the most comprehensive university healthcare centers in North America, supporting patient care, research and medical education through its network of affiliated hospitals and healthcare facilities. The 2.2 million-square-foot Glen Site serves as a major academic healthcare campus in Montréal, bringing together five historic teaching hospitals.