Energy Savings Potential for MRI Scanners in Routine Clinical Practice

We investigated the energy savings in our radiology department by changing the manner of operation of MRI scanners.Since October 2022, two of our MRIs were consistently shut down overnight and on weekends instead of being left in prepared-to-scan mode. Also, an energy-saving mode was activated for one of the scanners. Previously, the scanners were only shut down on some days, and no energy-saving mode was active. We determined the energy savings by measuring the power consumption in the section of the building where the two MRI scanners are housed and comparing it with previous values.By shutting down both MRIs at night, the building section's power consumption could be reduced by 7.04 kW, and by activating the energy-saving mode by an additional 2.15 kW. Through these measures, annual energy savings of up to 25000 kWh were achieved. This corresponds to a cost reduction of approx. EUR 4200, as well as a reduction in CO₂ emissions of about 10t. According to our measurements, a hospital that has previously left its MRIs ready for scanning at all times would save up to 20000 kWh per year per scanner, which corresponds to approx. EUR 3300 in cost savings and a reduction in CO₂ emissions of approx. 8t. In addition, there was no noticeable impact on the quality of patient care.Energy-saving measures in radiology departments can be implemented effectively and with little effort by changing the manner of operation of MRI scanners. · Shutting down MRIs outside of routine operating hours reduces power consumption. · Activating an energy-saving mode further reduces consumption. · Implementing these measures is simple and has no identifiable disadvantages. · Thurner J, Fellner C, Stroszczynski C et al. Energy Savings Potential for MRI Scanners in Routine Clinical Practice. Rofo 2026; 198: 77-83.