How to implement a greener fume hood

Image courtesy of Esco Ducted Fume Hood

Today, more and more companies are transitioning their laboratories to a GREENER one. Why? Simply because of the idea of SAVING MORE and being green is more sustainable and practical. We are constantly pushing technology a notch higher for a more efficient devices, that's why we have LED TVs, smart washing machines, smart cars, LED bulbs and more.

Laboratories are touted to be huge energy spenders with consumption of about four times more energy than offices of the same size. One common culprit is your fume hood! There are systems for your fume hoods that you can implement in your laboratory to help reduce energy wastage. These systems shown below may be installed individually or in various combinations.

• Auto Sash Sensor
• Install an automatic fume hood closure system that uses motion sensors to assess whether a person is working in front of the hood or not. When no activity has been detected for a certain period of time, the hood's sash will be lowered automatically.

• Variable Air Volume (VAV) Fume Hoods
• This has been previously discussed (click here). I've differentiated the advantage of a VAV system over a CAV one. This type of hood is often combined with the auto sash sensor noted above and allows the fume hood to interface with the laboratory's HVAC system. As the sash is raised or lowered, the VAV controller will signal with the HVAC system to control the volume of air to be exhausted either thru the automatic adjustment of  the fan speed or position of the damper.

• High Performance Fume Hoods  

Esco Frontier Acela, a High Performance Fume Hood (Image courtesy of Esco Ducted Fume Hood)

• These re energy-efficient fume hoods capable of containing fumes at a reduced face velocity, hence, reduced exhaust volume. This directly translate more savings for the company.