Case Study 8 — Hospitals & Critical Infrastructure Resilience
Dispatchable Heat, Cooling and Power Where Failure Is Not an Option
The Challenge
Hospitals and other critical infrastructure cannot tolerate a loss of power, yet the grids they depend on are becoming less reliable and the legacy backstop — diesel generation — is costly, high-maintenance and carbon-intensive.
Regulations already mandate extended backup runtimes, and rising energy demand inside these facilities is only adding to the burden.
The Numbers
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U.S. hospitals occupy about 4% of commercial floorspace but consume roughly 9% of commercial building energy (U.S. DOE / ASHE).
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The American Society for Healthcare Engineering projects healthcare facility energy demand will grow more than 50% over the next decade.
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Hospitals are commonly classified as requiring 96 hours of on-site fuel under NFPA 110.
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Major U.S. power outage frequency has tripled and average outage duration has risen roughly 40% since 2000.
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U.S. customers experienced an average of about 11 hours of power interruption in 2024 — nearly double the prior decade's annual average, driven largely by extreme weather (EIA).
Why Existing Solutions Fall Short
Diesel generators comply with standards, but they require large, stable fuel reserves, regular testing and refuelling logistics, as well as pollution and permit issues.
Batteries address short transmission intervals, but become prohibitively expensive for durations longer than 96 hours, as required by hospital regulations.
Grid fortification and microgrid connectivity modifications take years to approve and install, providing no immediate relief.
Heating, cooling, and power are typically supported by three separate systems, increasing capital investment and potential points of failure.
iQ-LOOP's Solution
iQ-LOOP stores low-cost or renewable electricity on site as reusable aluminium energy inventory, held indefinitely without degradation or refueling.
CREATE discharges that inventory as heat, cooling or power within the same rapid-response window hospital codes require — without depending on diesel resupply.
The aluminium is regenerated and reused continuously, turning backup capacity into a permanent on-site asset rather than a fuel stockpile that must be delivered, tested and replaced.
Example Reference Project
On-site LOOP installation providing supplemental thermal and electrical backup for a hospital or criticalinfrastructure facility, sized to extend emergency runtime beyond Level 1 diesel capacity.
Modelled Impact
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Extended backup duration without proportional diesel fuel storage
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Reduced diesel dependence and refuelling logistics
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Simultaneous heat, cooling and power from one system
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Fixed, long-term energy costs
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Reduce emissions versus diesel only backup
Why Now?
Outage frequency and duration are both rising sharply as extreme weather intensifies, at the same time as regulatory runtime requirements and facility energy demand are climbing — making dispatchable, non-diesel backup an increasingly urgent priority.
Vision for the Future
Power That Cannot Fail.
Heat, Cooling and Power — On Demand.
Resilience Without the Diesel.