The design of laboratories for sustainable construction and operation has become a major driver in the A/E/C industry over the past 10 to 15 years. These days, most lab clients are looking for sustainable design approaches at a minimum—and third-party certification, such as LEED, in many cases. This sustainable trend is driven heavily by the high construction and operating costs of labs and the quick payback potential sustainable design approaches provide for end users. It all makes good fiscal sense. Energy-efficient technologies are focusing on many significant components. There’s an ongoing active discussion in the lab community about appropriate air change rates in wet labs in occupied and unoccupied modes, for example. While safety remains the critical factor, there’s significant data that indicates labs can reduce air change rates and maintain safe environments. Many institutions actively monitor air quality in labs to control air change rates, which has a positive end result on lab energy use. In fact, demand-controlled ventilation is a common sustainable solution becoming more prevalent in certain lab types where pollutants of concern are well understood. For more information on sustainable lab design, please visit www.labdesignnews.com.
