Fume hoods consume up to 20% of the Science building’s energy due to the large volume of air that needs to be heated or cooled and moved through them. Help save energy and Shut the Sash.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Do you have a fume hood in your lab space? You can help your lab save energy by shutting the sash.
- Finished an experiment? Shut the Sash!
- Taking a break? Shut the Sash!
- Leaving for the day? Shut the Sash!
DID YOU KNOW THAT AN OPEN FUME HOOD USES AS MUCH ENERGY AS 3.5 HOMES!
Well, it’s not the fume hood itself, it’s the air being sucked through it.
For health and safety reasons, labs use 100 per cent outside air. That entire volume of air first has to be heated or cooled to make it a comfortable temperature before it is brought into the lab. A lot of electricity is also required to run large supply and exhaust fans that move the air through the building and through the fume hoods.
HOW DOES SHUTTING THE SASH SAVE ENERGY?
Fume hoods in newer or recently renovated labs generally have variable air volume (VAV) fume hoods. For these hoods, vented air volume is controlled by the sash height. This means the lower the sash, the lower the amount of conditioned air exhausted. This means that shutting the sash reduces the total amount of conditioned air for the building and fans don’t have to work as hard to move that air – both of these result in big energy savings.
FUME HOOD BEST PRACTICES
The sash is an important safety barrier between you and your work, so sashes should only be opened to set up or modify an experiment. When the sash is shut there is still air flow through the hood to remove fumes.
Never use a fume hood just for storing chemicals – they belong in a safety cabinet, which don’t use huge volumes of air.
If your group is no longer using a fume hood, consider having it locked and de-commissioned so air no longer flows through it. Email facilities.ok@ubc.ca to find out how.
Download campaign poster for printing.
SHUT THE SASH CHALLENGE: 6-Week Energy Reduction Event
The Shut the Sash Challenge is a six-week competition + spirit challenge that aims to encourage lab users to reduce energy through one simple action—closing laboratory fume hoods. This year, undergraduate labs in the Science Building will be taking part in the October – November 2023 event.
In partnership with
