The healthcare campus of the Openbaar Psychiatrisch Zorgcentrum Geel (OPZ Geel), a public psychiatric care and knowledge centre, compromises 250 residential beds and 75 residential beds dedicated to psychiatric care homes. OPZ Geel's roots are in family nursing, recently recognised as an intangible heritage by UNESCO. In addition to this shared care, the Care Centre is committed to sustainability as anchored in the master plan: "OPZ Geel wordt OPZ Groen."

Niels Van Gansen, Director of Infrastructure & ICT, OPZ Geel says:

The growing complexity and volatility of the energy market pose challenges in effectively managing our energy budget. As a healthcare organisation aiming to make a positive impact, partnering with AYA allows us to strategically mitigate energy expenditure. This strategy involves a judicious combination of in-house renewable energy production, the implementation of Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), and the optimisation of our traditional energy contracts. 

The energy strategy outlined for us by AYA will help us save energy costs and CO₂ structurally. With the AYA platform, we will have a perfect picture of the different energy flows, the effective cost of energy per MWh and the savings made. AYA's 15 years of in-depth expertise in the energy market is crucial to keep us up-to-date on all market developments, risks and opportunities.
 
As a healthcare organisation, we are going for climate neutrality, which leads to further electrification of our heating with heat pumps. We want to cover our energy needs for electrification with green and cheap electricity to the maximum and in a smart way, which will be a challenge for AYA. 

Additionally, we may explore leveraging our heat pumps in the flexibility market, generating added value for the hospital. Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond this, encompassing the optimisation of waste streams to extract circular energy.

The future will be both challenging and green!