An introduction to the engineering of high performance, low-energy labs

Sustainable Design: An Engineering Challenge...

Labs are sophisticated and complex environments that are designed to:

1. Meet the special demands of experimental study, testing, and analysis.
2. Provide safe environments for workers. 

This double mission requires levels of safety and space conditioning with indoor air quality not usually maintained in conventional office buildings.
As a result in the past, labs have typically been engineered with minimal regard for energy use. 

Sustainable Design: Integrated Engineering Solutions

Laboratory HVAC system can provide protection and comfort for all
occupants including those in associated, non-research spaces. 

Integration of dissimilar spacescan be achieved without increasing energy waste....

Sustainable, Energy-Efficient Design Process

• Arrange design charrette for all stakeholders
• Encourage inter-disciplinary discussions design team members
• Document design intent clearly 
• Adopt “systems approach” 
• Establish line-item budgets 
• Set performance targets.

High-Performance Benefits

• Save money
• Improve research process
• Increase safety
• Enhance comfort and environmental quality
• Free-up capacity
• Strengthen maintenance/reliability

A Caveat...

Remember, a late design review doesn’t work...

• Important design decisions have already been made
• “Big hits” are not realized
• Budget is already spoken for...
• Easily analyzed options are typically chosen
• “Appliqué” is not a systems approach

Optimizing an Energy-Efficient Lab

• Know the role of regulations and standards
• Minimize the load
• Determine potential load variability
• Match variable load with an adjustable system
• Use an integrated, energy engineering approach: “Right-Sizing”
• Promote the relationship between safety and energy efficiency
• Understand barriers