When organisations invest in a new laboratory extraction system, it’s easy to focus on the upfront investment.
However, the purchase price is only one part of the overall cost.
For many laboratories, the largest expense isn’t the installation. It’s the cost of operating the system over the next 10, 15 or even 20 years.
As energy prices continue to rise and organisations look for more sustainable laboratory ventilation, many are beginning to consider the total cost of ownership rather than the initial purchase price alone.
Why Good Laboratory Ventilation Design Looks Beyond Installation
A well-designed laboratory extraction system should do more than meet today’s requirements. It should continue delivering value throughout its lifetime.
Good laboratory ventilation design considers not only how effectively contaminants are captured but also how the system will perform years after installation.
This means thinking beyond equipment selection and asking broader engineering questions.
- How efficiently will the system operate?
- Can unnecessary energy consumption be reduced?
- Will the design continue to meet the laboratory’s future needs?
These decisions are made during the design stage, not after the system has been installed.
Extraction Doesn’t Just Use Fan Power
When people think about the energy consumed by a laboratory extraction system, they often picture the extraction fan. In reality, that’s only part of the story.
Every cubic metre of air removed from a laboratory usually has to be replaced. Depending on the building, replacement air may need to be heated, cooled, filtered, controlled, or distributed throughout the ventilation system
In many facilities, the energy required to condition replacement air can significantly exceed the electricity consumed by the extraction fan itself.
This is one of the reasons why laboratory ventilation systems are often among the largest energy consumers within universities, pharmaceutical facilities and research laboratories.
Every Laboratory Has Different Requirements
No two laboratories operate in exactly the same way.
Some facilities only require extraction during specific processes, while others operate continuously throughout the day.
Universities, pharmaceutical manufacturers and research facilities may have dozens of extraction points operating simultaneously, meaning even small efficiency improvements can deliver significant long-term savings across an entire building.
That’s why effective laboratory ventilation design always begins with understanding the process rather than selecting equipment.
The Three Principles of Smarter LEV Design
At Vent-Tech, we believe every laboratory extraction system should balance three essential priorities.
Protection
Protecting laboratory users through effective contaminant capture will always be the primary objective.
Compliance
Every system should support COSHH compliance and be designed around the hazards and processes unique to each laboratory.
Sustainability
Good laboratory ventilation design should also consider long-term operating costs, helping create more sustainable laboratory ventilation without compromising safety or performance.
When these three principles work together, laboratories benefit from systems that not only perform well today but continue delivering value throughout their operational life.
Laboratory extraction will always be about protecting people.
The opportunity for modern laboratories is designing systems that also reduce unnecessary energy use and support more sustainable laboratory ventilation where appropriate.
As laboratory technology continues to evolve, organisations are increasingly recognising that good laboratory ventilation design isn’t simply about selecting equipment.
It’s about creating a laboratory extraction system that balances protection, compliance and sustainability for years to come.
At Vent-Tech, we design laboratory extraction systems that balance protection, compliance and sustainability, giving you confidence that your investment will continue to perform for years to come.
Speak to our team to discuss your laboratory ventilation design requirements.