How A Retrofit Helped Yale Cut Operational Costs Within 2 Years
Yale University: A Controls System Retrofit Case Study
With 160 eight-foot chemical fume hoods as well as 74 point exhaust systems, 74 vented chemical storage cabinets, 37 equipment exhaust locations, and a once-through air system, Yale University’s Chemistry Research Building was an extreme energy consumer.
The Situation
A project team was tasked with reducing energy costs and focused on both re-thinking the fume hood design and reducing overall ventilation to laboratory spaces; keeping in mind adequate health and safety protection for students and faculty. The project team also sought to optimize ventilation airflow into laboratory areas by implementing measures such as reduced airflow in unoccupied lab spaces without reducing air quality.
The Solution
To optimize laboratory ventilation, make existing fume hoods more efficient, and lower the ACH, venturi valves, sensors, and fume hood monitors were installed. A life-cycle cost study showed a 40 percent reduction in energy use could be achieved by reducing exhaust through the hoods when the floor area in front of the hood was unoccupied.
The Result
More than 380 VAV valves were installed at Yale’s Chemistry Research Building. Fume hood monitors and sensors were installed on all the eight-foot combination fume hoods to reduce the face velocity when the hoods were unoccupied. Reduced fume hood exhaust combined with lower air change rates during unoccupied periods delivered significant operational savings within two years of the building retrofit coming on-line.
Belnor Engineering, home of the Belnor IAQ Warden™, is the official multiple consecutive award-winning distributor of innovative architectural products around the globe. At the forefront of sustainability for over three decades, we specialize in laboratory & building automation & controls, IAQ & HVAC systems, renewable energy & architectural solutions, technical services, and green & healthy building consulting — building green cities one green building at a time. For more information, contact us. Don’t forget to read our Sustainability Manifesto: Decade Of 2020 while you’re at it. Cheers!
