Laboratory buildings are among the most energy-intensive and complex facilities on any campus. With their specialized equipment, stringent ventilation requirements, and safety-critical systems, labs can consume up to 5–10 times more energy per square foot than a typical office building. Balancing safety, efficiency, and sustainability in these high-stakes environments demands more than traditional building management—it requires smart analytics.
The Challenge: Complex Systems, Critical Outcomes
Lab buildings present unique operational challenges:
High air change rates for safety and compliance
Fume hoods that significantly increase HVAC loads
Strict indoor air quality standards
Specialized equipment with unpredictable usage patterns
Occupant comfort in spaces used for long hours and precise work
These systems must perform flawlessly, not just for energy savings but for occupant safety. Yet many facilities teams are operating with limited visibility, reacting to issues rather than preventing them.
The Solution: Smart Building Analytics
1. Real-Time Monitoring of Critical Systems
With advanced analytics, lab managers and facilities teams can monitor:
Fume hood sash positions and usage patterns
Air change rates per lab or zone
Supply and exhaust fan performance
Temperature, humidity, and IAQ levels in real time
This granular visibility helps ensure ventilation systems operate within safety parameters—without unnecessary energy use.
2. Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD)
Labs are too critical to wait for systems to fail. FDD tools proactively identify issues like:
Fan speed mismatches
Leaking dampers
Simultaneous heating and cooling
Sensor drift that could compromise safety compliance
By automating the detection process, teams can resolve faults before they impact lab operations or occupant health.
3. Optimization of Ventilation Setpoints
Many lab buildings operate with fixed ventilation rates, even when unoccupied. Analytics can help safely reduce airflow during unoccupied periods while maintaining safety thresholds—yielding significant energy savings.
4. Equipment Scheduling and Peak Load Reduction
Lab equipment like ultra-low freezers and fume hoods contribute to high energy demand. Analytics can reveal usage trends and help optimize equipment scheduling, reducing peak demand charges and prolonging equipment life.
The Impact: Safer, Smarter, and More Sustainable Labs
With the right analytics strategy, lab buildings benefit from:
Improved safety compliance through continuous monitoring
Reduced energy use—often 20–40%—without compromising performance
Faster issue resolution with automated fault detection
Better data for audits and reporting, including ASHRAE 62.1 and 90.1 compliance
Enhanced operational transparency for lab managers and researchers
Why CopperTree Analytics?
CopperTree’s building analytics platform is uniquely equipped to meet the demands of lab environments. Our solutions are already helping higher education, healthcare, and research institutions:
Maintain critical indoor conditions
Uncover hidden inefficiencies
Empower facilities teams with actionable insights—at scale
Whether you’re designing a new lab facility or trying to optimize an aging one, our tools give you the visibility and control to operate smarter and safer.