Energy expenses form a substantial component of operational costs for hospitals. Energy-efficient (EE) medical equipment can help reduce these high, recurring costs without compromising the quality of patient care. Moreover, as EE equipment lowers health facilities’ electricity consumption, they can help optimise the size of renewable energy systems, particularly solar.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) provides energy efficiency guidance for hospitals and the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) issues appliance-level guidelines. However, neither defines ‘energy-efficient medical equipment’ or describes what qualifies as such.

To discuss research and field findings on the adoption and use of EE medical equipment in India, NHSRC and WRI India organised a roundtable discussion in December 2025. Participants deliberated on the current availability of medical equipment across public health facilities in India, opportunities to integrate energy efficiency into the equipment and in healthcare operations, the role of energy audits to identify inefficiencies, and pathways to strengthen policy, equipment standards, and awareness to promote the adoption and use of EE medical equipment.