Michael Garron Hospital’s efforts to be eco-friendly have paid off.

Not only has the East York hospital’s focus on cutting down its use of electricity saved 419,000 kWh per year — the equivalent of taking 50 homes off the grid —  but it’s also led to a hefty cheque from Toronto Hydro.

Every year, Toronto Hydro gives local hospitals thousands of dollars in cash incentives through its save-on-energy program. On Sept. 11, Michael Garron Hospital officials accepted a cheque for close to $200,000 during a special ceremony.

The East York hospital has reduced its energy consumption by installing low-flow toilets throughout the  facility, replacing fluorescent light bulbs with LEDs and installing occupancy sensors, said hospital spokesperson Erica Di Maio.

It’s also partnered with Honeywell Building Solutions to reduce energy consumption through facility equipment and operating systems.

“Our hope is that we can reinvest in additional infrastructure improvements to create more comfortable and healing environments for our staff and patients, or redirect savings to facilitate improved patient care,” Di Maio said.

According to data collected by Toronto Hydro,“hospitals and other healthcare buildings account for approximately five per cent of Toronto’s overall energy use,” said Tori Gass, Toronto Hydro spokesperson.

In future, Michael Garron Hospital plans to use Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certification to ensure new buildings are energy-efficient. It will roll out its new Patient Care Centre next year using LEED Silver designation.

The LEED website defines the program as certification that a building, home or community was designed and constructed using eco-friendly strategies.