Aspirus Health
recently introduced autonomous lawn mowers at six locations in its system to
support its environmental sustainability efforts. These battery-operated,
self-propelled mowers are managed through an application and operate on
electricity rather than gas.
“We are always
looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute positively to
the health of our environment and the communities and patients we serve,” said
Andrew Miller, Director of System Facilities Management and Security for
Aspirus Health. “Switching from gas-powered mowers to these autonomous mowers
at locations that can currently support the technology was an easy choice.
These autonomous mowers help reduce the environmental impact of our lawn
maintenance and deliver a higher value to our landscape operations and
campuses.”
Aspirus Health
locations now operating autonomous mowers are:
- Aspirus Wausau
Hospital
- Aspirus Inc.
Corporate Office (Wausau, Wis.)
- Aspirus Divine
Savior Hospital (Portage, Wis.)
- Aspirus Merrill
Hospital
- Aspirus Rhinelander
Hospital
- Aspirus Tomahawk
Hospital
Implementation of
the mowers was completed in July. The autonomous mowers use navigation
technology, sensors and programming to move about lawns, mow grass at the
desired height and pattern, and return to a docking station for recharging.
They can operate rain or shine, night or day.
Aspirus Inc.
Corporate Office maintenance teams built solar charging stations for the mowers
to support the initiative and minimize electrical usage and costs.
“Mower performance
has been strong, and we are running them right through all the recent
rainstorms,” Miller said. “The mowers are getting a great response from our
patients and employees, too.”
The benefits of the
autonomous mowers extend well beyond just entertaining onlookers. The
autonomous mowers reduce air and noise pollution. They produce zero direct
emissions during operation unlike gas-powered mowers that emit pollution and
greenhouse gases. They are also virtually silent, dramatically cutting down on
noise pollution.
Other benefits of
the autonomous mowers include:
- Electric motors that
are more efficient than combustion motors and require less energy and
maintenance to operate.
- Lightweight bodies
that don’t compact soil, allowing soil to absorb more water and reduce storm
water runoff.
- Sharp blades that
neatly cut grass, mulching it back into the ground and minimizing the need for
fertilizers and chemicals.
“Not only do these
autonomous mowers help reduce our carbon footprint, but they are also creating
efficiencies for our grounds and landscape teams, making our landscaping
maintenance more cost effective, enhancing the look of our campuses, and
allowing maintenance staff who also provide grounds services to focus more
heavily on critical assets and preventive maintenance programs within our
facilities,” Miller said.
Aspirus Health
purchased the autonomous mowers locally from Power House Lawn & Leisure in
Merrill, Wis. “We appreciate the collaboration we’ve shared with this local
Central Wisconsin business in making our autonomous mower initiative a
reality,” Miller said. “We’re grateful to them for being such an excellent
partner to us.”
Plans are being
developed to roll out autonomous mowers at other Aspirus Health locations in
the future.