On Tuesday, June 3 at IDEA2025, NLine Energy and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center took home the 2025 Joseph M. Brillhart Innovation Award for its Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center: Sustainable Energy Transformation . This award represents the very best example of public and private collaboration between multiple parties, where members share emerging best practices, new technologies and techniques to better their community
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (PSHMC) launched a bold, campus-wide energy optimization strategy in 2009. Located on a 550-acre medical and research campus in Hershey, Pennsylvania, PSHMC serves over 1.2 million patient visits annually and includes two hospitals, five institutes, and the Penn State College of Medicine.
Before the launch of this program, the campus was fully dependent on grid-supplied electricity and conventional steam pressure reduction valves, which wasted valuable thermal energy. HVAC systems operated inefficiently, chilled water delta T was poor, and operational costs were steadily rising. Recognizing the need for a resilient, cost-effective, and sustainable energy platform, PSHMC launched a multi-phase energy transformation plan, harnessing the power of many partners.
Intrigued to learn more? We encourage you to read their application and watch the awards ceremony video.
This is the second year the award was given out as the Joseph M. Brillhart Innovation Award, named after the beloved former IDEA Board Chair and Executive Committee Member who launched the award 10 years ago. Brillhart passed away in 2023 and the IDEA Board unanimously voted to name the award after him.
The quality of submissions this year were so impressive, we were able to honor four companies with an Honorable Mention designation, including submissions from Cordia and Capture H20, Corix, Empower Energy Solutions, and Exergenics.