A £250,000 carbon reduction project by UK based electronic airflow control and monitor manufacturer and consultant, Temperature Electronics (TEL), has been shortlisted for a sustainability award.
TEL’s work for the University of Reading’s fume cupboard energy efficiency upgrade project, Delivering Science Laboratory Safety and Comfort Sustainably, has won a place in the finals of the carbon reduction category of the 2014 Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) Green Gown Awards.
Undertaken between December 2013 and January 2014, TEL’s upgrade of the ventilation and control systems in the university’s chemistry teaching laboratory fume cupboards is on track to save the institution 343 tCo2 annually, taking it towards its 2016 35% carbon reduction target. The upgrade is also set to save £90,000 in annual energy bills, paying for itself in under three years.
TEL fitted variable airflow volume (VAV) controllers to 44 existing fume cupboards; these automatically adjust airflow according to need, reducing the volume of air extracted from the fume cupboards when not in use, reducing energy consumption.
The company also improved energy efficiency by fitting fresh air bleed controls to the 24 extractor fans to which the fume cupboards are connected, and by installing room controls on the air handling units servicing the laboratories.
Simultaneously, the initiative generated significant improvements in the thermal comfort of laboratories, keeping them warmer than before.
Said the University of Reading’s energy manager, Dan Fernbank: “TEL’s project demonstrated that sustainability can go hand-in-hand with safety and comfort, providing the case for a rollout of fume cupboard improvements; a working group has now been established for an estate-wide review.”
Added TEL’s director, Richard Eady: “We are very proud to have been able to assist thie university in its quest for environmental sustainability without compromising on comfort, and look forward to working with Reading on the next stage of the initiative later this year.”
This is the second time that TEL’s work has achieved Green Gown recognition, with its 2011 VAV project for Manchester Metropolitan University achieving shortlist status.
The company recently launched an upgraded auto sash controller to help academic institutions and industrial operations to achieve their energy consumption and carbon emission targets, supporting the international Shut the Sash campaign to encourage the closure of university fume cupboard hoods when the units are not in use.
TEL was established 45 years ago, and its products are designed to enable customers to achieve energy and cost savings and a reduction in carbon emissions, while enabling them to comply with health and safety legislation. Founded in 1969, and with a product range comprising airflow monitors (CAVs), airflow controls (VAVs) local exhaust ventilation (LEV) monitors and auto sash controllers, TEL has expertise in the airflow control and monitoring market, and its products are used in thousands of industrial settings and laboratories across the world.
TEL offers a full service provision, from design consultation, solution supply and installation, to training and technical backup.
