CR4HC Case Study: Pueblo Community Health Center

Clean Energy for Community Health  

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Pueblo, Colorado is a city of just over 100,000 residents situated 100 miles south of Denver. Many residents experience severe economic hardship, with 17.6% of its population living below the federal poverty line (Census Bureau Profile, n.d.). Since 1983, the Pueblo Community Health Center (PCHC) has provided primary health care to city residents through its 10 community health clinics located in Pueblo and Huerfano Counties (Pueblo Community Health Center, n.d.-a). In 2020, PCHC began plans to build a state-of -the-art healthcare facility in Pueblo’s underserved East Side neighborhood. During the planning phase, a physician Board member successfully advocated for the integration of sustainability and climate resilience into the building design. The business case demonstrated that incorporating renewable and energy saving measures at a 6–7% higher initial cost would pay off through lower utility expenses in 7–8 years, much less than the expected 50-year lifespan of the building. The East Side Clinic, which opened in January 2022, was the first healthcare center in North America to be identified by the New Buildings Institute as a net-zero facility, which generates renewable energy in a quantity equal to or exceeding the total amount of energy consumed onsite (New Buildings Institute, n.d.; Pueblo Community Health Center, n.d.-b). The clinic serves as a model for net-zero healthcare building design and contributes to the City and County of Pueblo’s goal to operate on 100% renewable energy by 2035 (Pueblo, CO, n.d.).  

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Sustainability Through Innovative Design 

The East Side Clinic was designed to work with—rather than against—the Pueblo environment. The proposed plan generated considerable interest from general contractors, allowing PCHC to select a company that was supportive of building the nation’s first net-zero health clinic. The sustainable design also opened new funding pathways, such as tax credits from the U.S. Department of Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund and renewable energy credits from the local utility Black Hills Energy, further reducing construction costs and accelerating the return on investment (Black Hills Energy, n.d.; Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, n.d.).  

Examples of energy efficiency measures enabling the health center to achieve its net zero goal include  

• maximum insulation in the roof, ceilings, and walls beyond what is required by building codes; 
• fiberglass framed windows and window shadings to offset the wide temperature fluctuations experienced in Pueblo; 
• energy efficient LED lighting system that maintains consistent indoor lighting in response to changes to daylight levels; and  
• renewable energy systems (e.g., 280 kW solar panel array and geothermal heat pumps) that increase the clinic’s resilience to climate hazards by reducing energy expenditure and minimizing reliance on the local energy grid.  

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Community Impact

The Pueblo East Side Clinic’s net-zero achievement inspired the local Urban Renewal Authority to designate an urban renewal district surrounding the health center (Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority, n.d.). The district includes a community center, city park, middle school, elementary school, library, church, and several mixed-use properties and is sparking much-needed revitalization in an underserved area of the city. The East Side Clinic enables PCHC to better serve its community by withstanding blackouts, heatwaves, and other climate hazard–related events. Its energy conservation and resilience activities enable PCHC to channel utility cost savings into patient care and community support. Today, PCHC gives tours of the East Side Clinic to building designers and other groups interested in adopting sustainable building designs. The East Side Clinic serves as a testament to how a single environmentally conscious choice can positively influence an entire community, fostering a resilient future for all.