Jun 17, 2025
Save Life & Save Energy: A Smart Choice That Protects Both Lives and Energy
On June 17, 2025, St. Carollo Hospital and the energy AI expert consortium EIPGRID held a signing ceremony for an “AI-Based Energy Optimization Tailored for Hospitals” agreement and officially announced the introduction of a hospital-specific energy management service utilizing Self-Demand Response (Self-DR) technology.
Under the shared vision of Save Life & Save Energy, this agreement marks a meaningful first step toward achieving smart AI-powered energy operations and sustainable cost savings in a hospital environment, without compromising the core healthcare values of patient safety and a comfortable environment.
Notably, this marks the first application of an AI-based Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) model in the hospital sector, a model pioneered by the EIPGRID consortium (consisting of EIPGRID, RSTenc and SUNKOREA). Drawing attention both domestically and internationally, EaaS is an energy subscription model (similar to how Netflix works) where AI autonomously analyzes how much and how energy is used in hospitals, factories, and buildings, and then reduces electricity costs through optimized equipment operation and rate management. Customers can start using the service without any upfront investment and simply share the savings/revenue achieved.
AI-Powered Self-Demand Response Technology for Hospital Environments
The Self-DR (Self-Demand Response) technology integrated into this EaaS service uses AI to analyze the real-time energy usage patterns of HVAC systems, lighting, and medical support equipment in hospitals. It automatically optimizes energy consumption without compromising the patient care environment.
The EIPGRID consortium (consisting of EIPGRID, a global AI-based energy management software company, RSTenc, an expert in ESS operations and building energy efficiency), and SUNKOREA, a provider of optimized solar solutions) is building a hospital-specific, self-reliant smart energy management system. This system accounts for dynamic factors such as equipment fatigue, usage patterns, reliability, and condition. It enables not only cost savings but also revenue generation from distributed energy resources such as solar PV, energy storage systems (ESS), emergency generators, and CTTS (uninterruptible power switching systems).
Expanding Self-DR EaaS Services from Hospitals to Industrial Facilities
The St. Carollo Hospital case is a symbolic milestone, representing the first deployment of EIPGRID’s AI-based EaaS service in a medical institution.
EIPGRID is now expanding the Self-DR service beyond hospitals to other high energy consuming sites, such as factories, shopping malls, logistics centers, etc.
These facilities are seeing benefits such as 5~15% monthly energy cost reductions, participation incentives from the energy market’s Demand Response (DR) programs, and improved safety diagnostics and operational efficiency through equipment usage data.
Consortium members expressed confidence in the scalability of this sustainable business model considering the local ecosystem.
A representative from St. Carollo Hospital said, “The core of hospital operations is patient safety and sustainability, and through this agreement, we are able to achieve both. We expect AI technology to be a major turning point in our hospital’s energy strategy.”
“This agreement goes beyond simple technology provision. It's the first example of a hospital and a tech company collaboratively building a smart hospital model driven by sustainable energy AI. Starting with hospitals, we will accelerate the spread of AI-based energy cost optimization services (EaaS) across public and industrial sectors,” said EIPGRID CEO, Tony Lee.
“This project is designed to optimize the operation of energy production and consumption resources, such as renewable energy and battery ESS, and reduce hospital energy use. Part of the savings will be reinvested into medical welfare,” Jung Ik-chul, RSTenc CEO added.
“At a hospital that saves lives, energy is saved, too.”
This agreement is more than just a technology introduction. As the first real-world deployment of AI-based EaaS services in a Korean hospital, it is expected to serve as the starting point for smart energy innovation in the healthcare sector.