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BREEAM Compliance
With the global effort of reducing carbon emissions to curb climate change as well as trying to build a more sustainable planet for future generations, it is important that the industry does its bit to help. The operational emissions from the built environment are a large contributor to the CO2 emissions in the UK, this is largely made up from energy used to power and heat the buildings.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method) is an internationally recognised sustainability assessment method for master planning projects, infrastructure and buildings. The most common assessment for new buildings is BREEAM UK New Construction (2018) and BREEAM UK Refurbishment & Fit-Out (2014). Most councils and local planning authorities have made BREEAM assessments mandatory on new buildings and projects over a certain size and it is believed that this is only going to continue to be adopted in coming years as the country strives to be carbon neutral.
How does this affect your project?
Hea 03 Safe Containment in Laboratories UKRFO14 and UKNC14
Laboratory containment devices and containment areas (1 Credit)
1. An objective risk assessment of the proposed/existing laboratory facilities has been carried out prior to completion of the design to ensure potential risks are considered in the design/refurbishment of the laboratory.
2. Where containment devices such as fume cupboards are specified/present, their manufacture and installation meet best practice safety and performance requirements and objectives, demonstrated through compliance with the following standards:
a. General purpose fume cupboards: BS EN 14175 Parts 1-7 (as appropriate)
b. Recirculatory filtration fume cupboards: BS 7989:2001
c. Microbiological safety cabinets: BS EN 12469:2000 (for manufacture) and BS 5726:2005 (for installation).
d. Clean air hoods, glove boxes, isolators and mini-environments: BS EN ISO 14644-7:2004
e. Articulated extension arms: PD CEN/TR 16589
Or, for Schools, Sixth Form Colleges and Further Education buildings with laboratories and fume cupboards for subjects up to and including A-Level (or equivalent):
f. G9 Fume cupboards in schools (Building Bulletin 88, Fume cupboards in schools) can be used for Assessments in Northern Ireland.
3. Where laboratory containment devices that are ducted to discharge externally are specified, the guidance in the National Annex of BS EN 14175-2 must be followed to ensure an appropriate discharge velocity is achieved.
2a)Our K8 aerodynamic fume cupboards are BS EN 14175 compliant
2f) Our educational range of fume cupboards comply with CLEEAPS G9
3. All our PVC extraction and ducting systems are designed and installed to BS EN 14175-2.
Ene 07 Energy Efficient Laboratory Systems
Design Specification (1 Credit)
Laboratory containment devices and containment areas (criteria only applicable to buildings containing these facilities)
4.For ducted fume cupboards specified:
4.a: Demonstrate that the average design air flow rate is no greater than 0.16m³/s per linear metre (internal width) of fume cupboard workspace
4.b: Measure the volume flow rate in the exhaust duct (at the boundary of the laboratory) to take account of reductions in (inward) volume flow rate from fume cupboard leakage
4.c: Demonstrate that a reduction in air flow does not compromise the defined performance criteria and does not increase the health and safety risk to future building occupants.
The purpose of this credit is to encourage reducing the amount of conditioned air that is extracted from the room. Conditioned air is typically heated to comfort levels (18-24°C), in large laboratories this requires a lot of energy, if there are a bank of fume cupboards which are extracting this heated air, the heating system has to work extra hard to maintain the comfort level of heating, hence dramatically increasing energy consumption and increasing operational costs of the facility.
0.16m³/s per linear meter is a significant reduction in comparison to what is typically specified. Our K8 fume cupboards are type tested to 0.30, 0.35, 0.40 and 0.50 m/s which means we can ensure the BREEAM threshold is achieved whilst meeting the fume cupboard’s ability to contain the fumes.
We also offer additional features that decrease the amount of wasted conditioned air such as:
- Automatically closing sashes – these detect when the user is absent and will close the sash to minimise the volume of air extracted
- Variable air volume system – this reduces the volume of air extracted at different sash heights whilst maintaining the face velocity.
Check out our VAV Fume cupboard for these options.
With all our fume cupboards, upon request, we can provide a technical document that provides sufficient evidence that our fume cupboard installation has been designed achieve the BREEAM requirements. As part of our commissioning scope, we can provide the required evidence for points 4.b and 4.c for your BREEAM assessment.
Ene 08 Energy Efficient Equipment
Fume cupboards are no longer covered in this credit.
If you would like to find out more, please contact us.
