Quick green labs check! ... Is the fume hood sash open or shut?
It's shut of course! Well, unless someone is actively working there. Otherwise the hood should be closed! Here are some useful resources to convince all your lab mates of the proven energy savings you are reaping.
The US Dept of Energy provides two case studies online to support "Shut the Sash" programs in laboratories. This document reports $1,300 savings annually per fume hood, and stresses that a "Shut the Sash" sticker should be installed on every fume hood in the US.
This report is by the Federal Energy Managment Program (FEMP) which also provides project financing for facilities implementing energy and water efficiency projects. Check out their web site for details.
Thank you for being "labconscious"!
For information on even more fume hood-related energy savings read our blog post: