Lowering Lab Energy Intake

U.S. laboratories have an opportunity to make a significant impact on this country—and that’s not a reference to the discoveries made within their walls.

According to ASHRAE, if half of all U.S. laboratories reduced their energy use by 30%, national energy consumption would be reduced by 84 trillion BTU. Laboratories use five to 10 times more energy per sq. ft. than office buildings, and specialty labs like cleanrooms, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, can consume as much as 100 times more energy than buildings of a similar size. This is due to systems that require large volumes of ventilation air needed to meet safety and code requirements for these facilities.

ASHRAE will address this issue at its annual summer meeting—set to take place June 26-30 in Nashville, Tenn.—with the ASHRAE Learning Institute seminar “Laboratories for the 21st Century: High-Performance, Low-Energy Design.” The seminar will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 26 and is based on the Labs21 program, developed by the EPA and the U.S. Dept. of Energy.

To register for the seminar, go to www.ashrae.org and click the “ASHRAE Learning Institute” shortcut.

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