Promoting healing and health isn’t just the job of doctors and nurses at Rockingham Memorial Hospital – the building itself plays a key role in patient recovery through environmental stewardship.

The first hospital in Virginia to achieve LEED Gold certification, Rockingham Memorial Hospital (RMH) infuses sustainability into every corner of the 630,000-square-foot building. The facility’s design and performance emphasize IAQ, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, and land preservation.

One of the most interesting features of this project is an unexpected source of renewable energy. Methane gas may be associated with cows, but Rockingham is using this landfill byproduct as fuel.

Because methane is a guaranteed revenue source for the county, it can charge a lower rate for methane than natural gas. To take advantage of a stabilized energy price, the hospital installed methane tri-fuel boilers. The alternative power has the potential to save over $400,000 annually, depending on current natural gas costs.

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