U.S. Department of Energy Specifications for High-Efficiency Fume Hoods and Ultra-Low-Temperature Laboratory Freezers
Rebecca Legett, Navigant Consulting, Inc.
Paul Mathew, Ph.D., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Commercial Building Energy Alliance (CBEA) have developed advanced energy specifications for high-efficiency fume hoods and ultra-low-temperature laboratory freezers (ULFs). Improving the efficiency of fume hoods and ULFs can significantly reduce laboratory energy use. Fume hoods are among the most energy-intensive equipment in a laboratory setting, and a typical ULF can consume as much energy as a small home. When built and operated according to the advanced specification, high-efficiency fume hoods are expected to deliver at least 50 percent energy savings compared to conventional fume hoods, and high efficiency ULFs are expected to deliver at least 30 percent energy savings compared to conventional ULFs. The fume hoods specification applies to conventional and variable air volume (VAV) laboratory fume hoods in both stand-alone and shared-ventilation configurations and consists primarily of energy guidelines and test methods. The ULF specification applies to upright and chest freezers and consists primarily of energy guidelines and test methods. CBEA members may use the energy guidelines to augment their existing specifications or download, adjust, and utilize a full sample specification, depending on their needs. The market adoption of high-efficiency fume hoods and ULFs will result in big wins for both building owners and manufacturers. Building owners will save energy and money, and manufacturers will develop better equipment and be directed by the strong market signal that CBEA member buy-in represents. DOE will work with manufacturers to ensure that cost-effective products are available to purchase by CBEA members. To do so, the CBEA purchasing power will be used to demonstrate the market demand for high-performance products that offer substantial life cycle cost savings over minimum efficiency products.
Paul Mathew will give an introductory overview followed by the presentation by Rebecca Legett.
Rebecca Legett works in the Energy Efficiency and Policy Analysis group at Navigant Consulting, Inc. Ms. Legett is leading the development of two specifications within the CBEA technical specifications project, which involves developing advanced energy specifications for products and working with manufacturers and purchasers to bring these highly efficient products to market. She has also conducted analysis in support of DOE's Codes and Standards program. Ms. Legett received her Bachelor of Science in Engineering in mechanical engineering from Princeton University.
Paul Mathew is a staff scientist and group leader of the Commercial Building Systems group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where he conducts applied research and market transformation activities on energy use in buildings. His current work is focused on energy benchmarking tools and techniques for commercial buildings, energy-related risk analysis, as well as energy efficiency for laboratories and data centers. Prior to joining LBNL, he worked at Enron Energy Services and the Center for Building Performance at Carnegie Mellon University. He has a bachelor's degree in architecture and a Ph.D. in Building Performance and Diagnostics.