Modern research labs now operate with fewer fume hoods, rely more on computational chemistry and have lower thermal needs due to reduced plug loads. Yet lab energy usage is still 5–10 times an office’s usage1 and the HVAC load in labs is typically 60–80% of a lab building’s energy. However, with the advent of demand-based control (DBC) of a lab’s dilution ventilation flow or air changes per hour (ACH), it is now possible to reduce dramatically lab building energy use, in some cases by up to 50%. This is achieved by varying a lab’s use of outside airflow based on real-time measurement of the lab’s indoor environment. This, in turn, can help to achieve Net Zero Energy operation of a lab, even in regions with harsh climates such as Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Today, the minimum dilution ventilation flow or air change rate (ACR) is often the dominant factor for determining supply and exhaust air flow volumes in labs. The three main drivers of air flow that affect the lab’s use of supply air flow are: the hood or exhaust device flows; the thermal loads; and the minimum dilution ventilation or ACH rate, as shown in Figure 1. To achieve reduced lab flows, energy and cost, all flow requirements need to be minimised.
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