In our previous article detailing
BREEAM laboratory credits from using energy efficient EC fans, we discussed how incorporating low energy design strategies and highly sustainable features could contribute to a buildings overall sustainable features, to contribute towards a good or outstanding BREEAM status.
Laboratory areas, such as those in universities, are defined as highly serviced spaces where physical, biological, or chemical processing or testing is carried out. Such areas will have inherently high energy demands including ventilation
, air handling and containment or fume extraction.
Under BREEAM assessments teaching and other laboratory workshops with a limited amount of fume cupboards or other containment devices, or no energy intensive process equipment specified are excluded, unless the design team can provide evidence that their consumption is at least 50% higher than a typical office due to the laboratory process-related activities. Typically, in buildings where 40% of the floor area is laboratory related, only 10% will actually constitute laboratory areas as per the BREEAM definition. Different types of laboratories have different requirements for HVAC. This can lead to enormous variations in energy requirements. The main types of laboratories include.
1. Wet laboratories - where chemicals, drugs or other material or biological matter are tested and analysed requiring water, direct ventilation and specialised piped utilities. They typically include chemical science laboratories. These laboratories require specially designed facilities.
2. Dry laboratories - contain dry stored materials, electronics, or large instruments with few piped services. They typically include engineering or analytical laboratories that may require accurate temperature and humidity control, dust control, and clean power.
3. Microbiological and clinical laboratories - often involve working with infectious agents. They typically require higher levels of primary containment and multiple secondary barriers including specialised ventilation systems to ensure directional air flow, air treatment systems to decontaminate or remove agents from exhaust air, controlled access zones, airlocks as laboratory entrances, or separate buildings or modules to isolate the laboratory.
4. In vivo laboratories - these require highly controlled environments for the care and maintenance of flora and fauna. The facilities are complex, and expensive to build and to operate. Tight environmental control over the facility is required to avoid the introduction of contaminants or pathogens, and prevent the possibility of infectious outbreaks, and avoid the transmission of odours.
5. Teaching laboratories - unique to academic institutes, they require space for teaching equipment, storage space for student belongings and less instrumentation than research labs.
6. Clean rooms - refers to a controlled environment (air quality, temperature and humidity) which prevent contamination and require the regulating of environmental conditions, to facilitate accurate research and production needs. They are typically used in universities for nanotechnology, medical and pharmaceutical research or studies and microelectronics applications.
Under Ene.07 energy efficient laboratories, up to 4 credits are available for best practice energy efficient measures. The measures implemented must result in a reduction in the total energy consumption of the laboratory of at least 2%. Through the BREEAM assessment process, manufacturers performance data showing air and pressure figures, or motor efficiency are classed as significant contributions towards the design and implementation of energy efficient laboratories that contribute to reducing the overall energy consumption by at least 2%.
Learn more about the use of EC plug fans and
multiple fan arrays in sustainable building development to improve indoor air quality, provide functional adaptability, reduce waste and contribute to
improved BREEAM status by reducing scope 2 carbon emissions here.
