When Does Laboratory Air Recirculation Make Sense?
Karl Aveard, LEED® AP, Erlab
Some people think the answer is never, but, when the cost of cleaning the air is less than the energy to condition the air, it would be difficult to argue against the fiscal advantage. However, that is only part of the necessary analysis. One additional issue does cause concern, and that issue is, "Can filtration fume hood systems be trusted?" The industry has long held a bias that does not favor filtration. In 2010, new systems and devices are showing up in the laboratory that stand contrary to the established norm in the United States. Although filtration has been widely accepted for many years by our neighbors in Europe, it has only represented a small percentage of the U.S. market. The technology has made significant advances in recent years. The previous objections by the naysayers of filtration have been used as the design criteria for a new generation of filtration media. Like the Apple II computer, the model "T" Ford, and all products resulting from man's technological achievements, filtration media and the associated devices have evolved. Attend this presentation to learn exactly what those advances are and why you can trust them.
Biography:
Karl Aveard has 35 years experience in laboratory design and construction He has been published in R&D Magazine, the R&D Newsletter, and contributed to the Labs21 Best Practice Guide for Fume Hoods. Mr. Aveard is a frequent speaker, a LEED Accredited Professional, and served as the committee co-chair for the USGBC LEED-AGL (Architectural Guidelines for Laboratories).
As a longtime member of ASHRAE, Mr. Aveard has served on the SPC-110 and TC9.10 committees. The 110 committee was formed to rewrite ASHRAE-110-1995, "A Method of Testing Laboratory Fume Hoods." At the Scientific Equipment & Furniture Association (SEFA), Mr. Aveard worked on the subcommittee for low velocity fume hoods.
Mr. Aveard joined Erlab in January 2009 to champion its GreenFumehood Technology in the United States.