A conceptual model for laboratory ventilation greenhouse gas planning

There is increasing pressure to operate laboratory facilities in environmentally and financially sustainable ways. A key factor in achieving this goal is careful consideration of how energy is used by the buildings' ventilation system, both for conditioning air supplied to the laboratories and the energy used moving air through the building. Traditionally, laboratory energy use is treated as an engineering concern within the scope of the building's overall design and operation. However, this approach limits the involvement of key stakeholders in many important decisions and can lead to unexpected safety concerns for the laboratory's users. We believe that a broad view of the parties affected by a laboratory building's operations is necessary to avoid having the various stakeholders working at cross-purposes. Specifically, in managing laboratory ventilation, a balance must be struck between safety of laboratory occupants and institutional stewardship regarding resource use. A system wide view of laboratories can help achieve this balance. We use insights from environmental management systems, systems science, and ecological economics to develop the basis for a management model of the balance between laboratory safety and energy conservation.