Sustainable campus

DTU’s laboratories must be both safe and sustainable

Ventilation in laboratories—and especially exhaust ventilation in fume hoods—is associated with high energy consumption. A new pilot project will now test whether the ventilation can be switched off when a laboratory is not being used for teaching.

DTU Chemistry will test and evaluate whether fume hoods can be switched off in one of the teaching laboratories when it is not being used to minimize ventilation costs. Photo: DTU

Wednesday 22 March 2023

Nasrin Billie

The ground floor of Building 211 at DTU Lyngby Campus houses four teaching laboratories with white walls and high ceilings. Here, a total of 48 fume hoods are used for teaching purposes. The fume hoods prevent exposure to inhalation of hazardous fumes and ensure the correct handling of spills of corrosive chemicals. That is a good thing in terms of ensuring a safe working environment for users. But the fume hoods run around the clock, which is less good when we want to save energy.

DTU Chemistry will test and evaluate whether fume hoods can be switched off in one of the teaching laboratories when it is not being used to minimize ventilation costs.

“Here at DTU Chemistry, we work at all hours, but we also agree that it’s too expensive to have all equipment in constant operation, even when there is no one in the laboratory. We prioritize switching the equipment off during such periods,” says Jimmie Thomsen, Head of Workshop, Building Center and Reception at DTU Chemistry.

Energy Committee

Jimmie Thomsen sits on a newly established energy committee in the department, which is composed of both technical-administrative staff and scientific staff, who discuss solutions for reducing energy consumption.

“There is a need for new initiatives where resources are better utilized with less waste, but the green initiatives must not be introduced at the expense of safety,” says Jimmie Thomsen, who is also looking at how to reduce the consumption of vacuum pumps, ovens, and freezers in DTU Chemistry’s laboratories.

"As a minimum, we’re working to achieve a reduction of 10 percent. The challenge is that it takes time. For me, it’s about keeping up the momentum, so what I’ve proposed is that we address energy saving measures as an ongoing theme at our department meetings. It requires constant focus,” emphasizes Jimmie Thomsen.

In offices and communal areas in the department, energy savings must be found by remembering to turn off the lights and heating, and to switch off the equipment that consumes energy when it is not in use.

Pilot project

Building 211 is called Denmark’s largest fume hood due to the total volume of air replaced per hour in the laboratories. The ground floor contains four teaching laboratories, while the eight laboratories on the first floor are used by researchers. The second floor contains ventilation systems, vacuum pumps, and installations.

The project with switching off the fume hoods in the teaching laboratories is still in the exploratory phase, and Campus Service, DTU Chemistry, and the department’s occupational health and safety organization are working to find the best and safest solution for how this can be implemented.

“We’re engaged in the project description and thorough risk assessment in a collaboration between DTU Chemistry and Campus Service,” says Lene Kuszon, Project Manager in Campus Service.

Energy reductions

A calculation shows that the department can save up to 5,000-7,000 kilowatt hours on electricity and heating per fume hood per year if the exhaust ventilation is switched off when there is no teaching. This corresponds to approximately the annual consumption of a single-family home.

The experiences from the pilot project can be used to spread the switching off of fume hoods in teaching laboratories on DTU’s campuses. It will be up to the individual departments to assess whether the hoods in their teaching laboratories can be switched off when they are not being used.

Must remove all chemicals and turn off a switch

Laboratory Manager at DTU Chemistry Bodil Fliis Holten is behind the proposal to switch off the fume hoods when they are not in use, and DTU Chemistry contacted Campus Service to examine possible options.

“Our laboratory technicians—who assist in the teaching and prepare the lab equipment—thought it was a good idea,” says Bodil Fliis Holten.

The solution is being developed, but it may be a dedicated switch where only the fume hoods are turned off/on in the laboratory, and it must be very clear both in and outside the room that the fume hoods have been switched off.

“This isn’t possible in our research laboratories, but it can be done in our teaching laboratories, because, as laboratory technicians, we can guarantee that the fume hoods in the classrooms are free of chemicals,” says Bodil Fliis Holten about the teaching laboratories, which are used by up to 300 students annually.

Other energy saving initiatives at DTU Chemistry

Renovation

In connection with the renovation of Building 207—which has now been completed—and the ongoing renovation of Building 206, more energy-efficient fume hoods have been acquired that automatically close the hatch when there are no users in front of them. The renovation of the laboratories follows the latest standards in relation to energy-efficient solutions, such as LED lighting and motion sensors on the light, which means that they switch off automatically when there are no people in the room.

Lowering at night

Pilot project on lowering or completely switching off the power of the large house vacuums in Building 211 at night when there is no teaching in the laboratories.

Sustainable campus

Together we can change energy habits - For a sustainable DTU

Did you know we can reduce our energy consumption by approximately 10%? The key to sustainable energy consumption at DTU revolves around our habits. Therefore, we can all help save energy with a few simple tips.

Read more at Inside Together we change energy habits - for a sustainable DTU - DTU Inside
If you have questions or input please contact CAS at saveenergy@dtu.dk

Contact

Jimmie Trunjer Thomsen Head of Workshop, Building Center and Reception. Department of Chemistry Phone: +45 45255421 jth@kemi.dtu.dk