Laboratories typically consume five to 10 times more energy per square foot than office buildings of similar size—in the case of specialty laboratories, sometimes more—with the disparity attributed mainly to higher HVAC loads from evermore stringent ventilation requirements. In laboratory facilities with large numbers of fume hoods and biosafety cabinets, meeting these requirements can be especially challenging, particularly in jurisdictions that do not permit the passage of hazardous containment air through high-efficiency total energy-recovery wheels.
