Wellesley College
Science Hill Expansion Complex
INDUSTRY
Educational Institution
LOCATION
Wellesley, MA
PRODUCT
Filtered Fume Hoods
(39) Labconco Echo Filtered Fume Hoods with GreenFumeHood Technology
PROCESS
Fume Hoods featured Erlab’s GreenFumeHood Technology providing the most advanced air filtration technology in the world along with:
Safety
Savings
Sustainability
Innovation
Flexibility
Performance
“ERLAB EQUIPMENT PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN SAFETY AND INDOOR AIR PURIFICATION
APPLICATION AREA:
Ductless Fume Hood Application for Educational Facilities
I n 2018, Wellesley College announced plans for renovating and expanding their entire Science Hill complex. A big part of this involved the Science Center. The Science Center is “the largest consumer of energy on campus by far” according to the Fall 2018 issue of Wellesley Magazine. As Wellesley created the design criteria, the environment was a key concern. Science Hill was built within nature – choosing to incorporate the natural landscape rather than build over it. Not only do they want to protect their local landscape, but also the global environment, by being good stewards of their sustainability and climate impact. In 2019, Wellesley earned a gold Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for sustainability. Wellesley was very interested in making the Science Center more sustainable and energy efficient to maintain and potentially improve their STARS rating.
THE CHALLENGE
Per a June 18, 2019 news story on wellesley.edu: “‘Wellesley has always been committed to being a force for good in the
world,’ said Wellesley College president Paula A. Johnson. “There is no more powerful expression of this than building a sustainable future. We are thrilled to receive the STARS Gold Rating and pledge to keep moving forward.” They went as far as upgrading the materials of the entire building with more durable window framing and glass instead of fiberglass. When it came to the L and E wings, which house chemistry, biology, and ecology departments, among others, they were completely renovated and this included all new chemistry and research laboratories. Wellesley wanted to extend their energy efficiency to as many aspects of the project as possible. Per the Fall 2018 issue of Wellesley Magazine, Wellesley College filed for LEED gold certification for the building once it is complete, and those close to the project at Wellesley hope it will exceed those standards. Furthermore, because this was going to be a multi-year project, the laboratories needed to be flexible to minimize disruption to students. Modular laboratories or swing spaces can be difficult in particular because of the need for ducting to the exterior that is required for traditional fume hoods.
THE SOLUTION
Many architects, engineers, contractors, and project managers worked together and came up with a solution: Labconco Echo Filtered Fume Hoods. Because they use a comprehensive filter from Erlab®, these hoods don’t require ducting outside. This allowed Wellesley to install the hoods in their modular labs and continue chemistry and biology classes, as well as some faculty research, during construction.
Once the L wing was complete, the Echo Filtered Hoods were moved from the temporary labs into their permanent home. The desire for energy efficiency and safety was a big factor in choosing VAV controls with the most energy efficient fume hood in the world: Protector® XStream® by Labconco. Specialized design factors provide advantages in fume hood containment and conditioned air consumption reduction, both important aspects for Wellesley College’s new Science Center. Protector XStream hoods reduce energy consumption by over 40% compared to conventional fume hoods and as much as 15% compared to other high-performance hood options. Protector Echo Filtered hoods have essentially 0 CFM because they don’t require make up air. On average, this saves more than $6,000 each year compared to a standard VAV ducted hood. Combining the energy savings of the Protector XStream and Protector Echo hoods helped Wellesley College in their efforts towards campus sustainability.
Wellesley’s hoods in the old Science Center were the traditional “Wellesley Blue” and it was important to them that this be continued with the new ducted hoods. Labconco matched the color from paint samples from their existing steel tables and casework that was being reused in the renovation. These contrasted the filtered hoods which are Labconco’s glacier white. Everyone involved thought the contrast in color between the filtered Hoods and ducted hoods was a great idea. Students would be trained to understand the difference between the two hood types. In the teaching labs, the blue hoods contain the hazardous bins.
Green Fume Hood 3
The most advanced air filtration technology in the world.
Green Fume Hood Technology is the ONLY integrated filtration technology available and has been adopted by the world’s leading fume hood manufacturers. Unparalleled safety is delivered with the most advanced filtration, detection, and communication capabilities. With the marriage of Green Fume Hood Technology and our partners’ fume hood superstructures, you now have the best of both worlds when it comes to your fume hood needs. A traditional fume hood design without the need for costly HVAC upgrades and enormous operational cost. It’s time to make a change and be a part of the solution that is our energy and pollution crisis.
THE RESULT
The overall Wellesley College project consisted of Echo Filtered Fume Hoods and XStream Ducted Fume Hoods for the multi-phase renovation and new Wellesley College Science Center.
The Project Managers from Wellesley, instructors and students are very pleased with the filtered hoods and ducted hoods. They love the design and safety features. They are all proud of the improvements. And with the energy savings of the new hoods, along with the more sustainable materials and upgrades, they were able to gain points toward LEED certification.
ABOUT ERLAB
We provide safety, we protect your health
Erlab invented the ductless fume hood in 1968. With more than 50 years of experience in the field of chemical filtration and protection of laboratory personnel; we know the formula for safety. With Erlab, you will never have to wonder or worry if our products are safe. Our process includes 5 ingredients for all of our products, and without all of them, your health and safety will be compromised.
ERLAB R&D LABORATORY
The engineers and chemists in our state-of-the-art R&D laboratory understand molecular filtration. We are committed to designing products that are safe and of the highest quality, strive to improve our products, and continuously develop new products that provide greater protection in the laboratory.
STRICT SAFETY STANDARDS
We hold ourselves to the highest standard and adhere to the strict AFNOR NF X 15-211: 2009 filtration safety standard as endorsed by ANSI Z9.5-2012.
A PUBLISHED CHEMICAL LISTING
It all begins here. Without this listing, we are not compliant with AFNOR NFX 15-211. Our in-house laboratory tests, as well as independent testing, to verify the retention capacity of over 700 chemicals for our filters.
INDEPENDENT TESTING
Erlab filters have been independently tested multiple times at various concentrations guaranteeing that our safety solutions all adhere to the strict performance criteria of theAFNOR NF X 15-211:2009 standard assuring that the emission concentration at the filter exhaust will always be lower than 1% of the TLV.
APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE (VALIQUEST)
Our laboratory specialists will recommend the appropriate filtration fume hood, type of filter, and personalized advice.
CERTIFICATE OF VALIDATION FOR THE CHEMICALS USED IN THE HOOD
A certified PhD chemist issues a Certificate of Validation with a list of the chemicals approved for use in the hood.
Our Safety Program
We back up our products 100%. This program includes your specialized chemical evaluation, validation of your hood upon installation, and a filtration safety specialist at your service to ensure that your hood is operating to its full potential.
