Information Tools to Manage and Improve Laboratory Ventilation Systems

Environmental health and energy use are two topics that dominate laboratory ventilation systems design. They are even more important when the building is in use. In terms of energy efficiency, design is just a starting point. True performance is realized during the years of operation that follow. There are countless reasons why a building may use more energy than anticipated. Previous authors have documented that energy performance degrades as buildings age. It is only by actively monitoring and managing ongoing operations that a building manager can achieve energy efficiency.

Active management is equally important to other aspects of ventilation system function. Lab systems are complex, having many points of interaction with workers and with related systems. The possibilities for technical faults, misuse, and misadjustment are significant. These can cause measurable deficiencies in lab ventilation. Such deficiencies mean that the ventilation system may not protect workers from exposure to air contaminants.

This article outlines the role that ventilation plays in the environmental health of the lab workers, and presents a set of reports generated automatically from building automation system (BAS) data.