Energy Efficient Fume Hoods: Case Studies From New Zealand
Ken Collins, Lab-works Architecture
Nick Baty, MCIBSE, CEng (UK), Beca
Sustainability and energy efficiency are now widely accepted as essential aspects of successful laboratory design, therefore finding energy savings is crucial. New Zealand is renowned for its clean, green image, so sustainable building systems go hand-in-hand with this ideal. As a small country, New Zealand also needs to be able to compete on the world stage, and sustainable, cutting-edge research facilities are an important way to attract talent and innovation. Exhaust air contributes significantly to a laboratory's energy use and cost. Fume cupboards are one of the most standard and essential pieces of laboratory equipment. They are also some of the most energy intensive equipment to run. The benefits of using energy-efficient fume hoods with a variable air system are demonstrated through several case studies, including the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology and the Coastal Ecology Lab, both at Victoria University of Wellington, and Scion, a forestry research laboratory. These case studies highlight the current innovations in fume hood design, and illustrate how sustainable systems and equipment are integral to the creation of world-leading research facilities.
Ken Collins, a registered New Zealand architect, has been a director of Lab-works Architecture since 1982.
Mr. Collins has extensive experience in the design and construction of laboratories throughout New Zealand and in Australia. Mr. Collins has initiated many advances in design and construction including room layout, benching systems, safety stations, and chemical and gases use in his 20 years of designing laboratories.
He is a regular participant and has presented at the Labs21 Annual Conference and laboratory conferences in Australia, Asia, and New Zealand.
Mr. Collins has assisted in writing Australian and New Zealand laboratory standards (AS/NZS 2892:2010) and developing best practice and operation procedures for many of his clients.
Lab-works Architecture's clients include Government laboratories (CRIs), hospital laboratories, universities, and private companies.
Mr. Collins' focus is on assisting clients to achieve competitive advantage through design, improving the efficiency, accuracy, safety, and sustainability of their facilities.
Nick Baty is an associate building services engineer with Beca, one of the largest employee-owned engineering and related consultancy services companies in the Asia-Pacific. He has more than fifteen years' experience in the building industry having been employed in facilities management, building construction, and design consultancy. He is passionate about incorporating energy-efficient and sustainable principles from the outset of the design process, and has enjoyed facilitating the incorporation of these in his recent laboratory and healthcare projects.