I²SL Sustainability Scoop

February 2016

Sustainability Scoop: New Approaches to Fume Hood Efficiency

Fume hoods help keep researchers safe from exposure to hazardous airborne materials. Unfortunately (and this might not be news to most readers) fume hoods cost a lot to operate! In fact, fume hoods can consume as much as 50% of a lab’s operating costs¹. The good news is that advancements in laboratory ventilation are helping fume hood operation become more energy efficient and affordable.

The Consensus Statements: Outcomes of Fume Hood Summit, published in 2015, reflects the changes in laboratory chemical ventilation technology and use since 1998—when the last consensus statements were released—and shares successful ways to reduce overall fume hood energy use and consumption costs without compromising the health and safety of occupants and their surrounding environment. Everybody wins!

Dig Deeper Into Fume Hoods

In addition to the Consensus Statements: Outcomes of Fume Hood Summit, consider these resources:

• A recording of the March 19, 2015, I²SL High-Tech Talk Webinar, A Current Consensus on Safety and Performance of Laboratory Hoods and Ventilation Systems, hosted by Tom Smith, Exposure Control Technologies, and Louis DiBerardinis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Note that I²SL’s High-Tech Talk Webinars are free to I²SL Members via the Member portal. If you’re not already a member, join today!
• A recording of the June 18, 2015, I²SL High-Tech Talk Webinar, Fume Hood Design Workshop Report: Engaging Users to Develop a Fume Hood Specification That Fits Their Needs, hosted by Pam Greenley, MIT, and
  Greg Muth, Tsoi/Kobus & Associates.
• ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.5-2012 American National Standard: Laboratory Ventilation contains quality information about fume hood systems and supports both safety and energy efficiency.
• Keep a look out for the revised ASHRAE 110 Method of Testing Performance
  of Laboratory Fume Hoods, which has been approved for publication and should be available soon.

¹Source: Laboratory Design Newsletter