Laboratories for the 21st Century: An Introduction to Low-Energy Design (Revised)

Abstract

L a b o r a t o r i e s f o r t h e 2 1 s t C e n t u r y : A n I n t r o d u c t i o n t o L o w -E n e r g y D e s i g n

The relevance of sustainable laboratory practices

“…Many aspects of laboratory resource efficiency are determined during building design. 4 With growing environmental concerns, the construction sector is improving its practices embedding sustainable design, cement, buildings, including sustainable cement production. 83 This is much needed as about 40% of global anthropogenic emissions are attributed to buildings and construction, 11% of which results from manufacturing building materials and products such as steel, cement and glass.…”

“…4 It is wise to include controls, timers and occupancy sensors in devices with diverse loads such as lights, computers and fume hoods. 4 The baseload energy consumption of science buildings vs. the usage by the users, i.e., running the building (heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, etc.) vs. the activities in the building (science activities, instrument use, computers etc.…”

“…Furthermore, heat pumps can drastically reduce the costs for domestic heating replacing gas usage. 4 Depending on the location, green power through electricity providers utilizing hydropower, wind farms or PV systems should be examined. Laboratory efficiency can be enhanced through sharing laboratory-and facility spaces, where a previous study demonstrated space savings of up to 30%.…”

“…1 A laboratory's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system has air ow rates two to ten times higher than in office buildings, and ventilation comprises the single most energy-intensive service in laboratory buildings. 4,27 In fact, laboratories have the highest mean heating and electricity consumption of an institution, being responsible for 60-65% of an entire university's total energy consumption. 1 These numbers are correlated with the equipment being operated in these research spaces.…”

“…Scientic research and scientists are committed to advancing human knowledge, understanding nature, providing a basis for innovation, educating society and improving humanity. [1][2][3][4] Building on fundamental discoveries, by strictly following the scientic method and the ethical conduct of research, scientists are the reason that society was able to drastically reduce the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. 5,6 Their research is mainly conducted in laboratories, which can be seen as the hubs of discovery and innovation.…”