The Significance of Gauging Stakeholder Interests in Energy Saving and Environmental Management in Green Hospitals

Recently, the Engineering institute of thailand and the association of Siamese Architects issued a green building rating system to promote sustainability and to conserve the environment. A hospital is abuilding type that consume large amounts of energy. Therefore, recommendations for rating their sustainability and operating the more efficiently have been made. However, hospitals have large and diverse numbers of stakeholders who need to be consulted before transformimg hospital buildings. The aim of this research is to study the importance of assessing stakeholder interest in energy saving and environmental management in green hospitals. Sample stakeholders were categorized into five groups: executive officers, building support staff, hospital workers, architects and engineers. A questionaire survey was conducted in order to gain opinions about the significance of the incoming green building rating system in Thailand for hospitals. The results showed that environmental sustainability is considered important, was rated at the levels od ‘high’ and ‘highest’, by all stakeholders. Of greatest improtance was environmental protection, followed by site and landscape. Finally, an important criterior that should be added is the details of waste and wastewater management in the hospital.