Shut the Sash
Download flyers and request stickers below!
Image courtesy of oregonstate.edu
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Only open the fume hood sash when setting up an experiment or when directly manipulating substances within the hood.
Keep the fume hood sash at the lowest level necessary to perform the experiment.
Fully close the fume hood sash when not in use and hibernate any unneeded fume hoods.
Perform a final sweep before leaving the lab to ensure that all fume hoods are shut.
Additional Resources
- Berkeley laboratory fume hood energy calculator
- Fume Hood Sash Stickers Increases Laboratory Safety and Efficiency at Minimal Cost: Success at two University of California Campuses (U.S. Department of Energy, 2012)
- Go back to Sustainable Labs page
What is Shut the Sash?
Laboratories are the most energy-intensive buildings on Georgia Tech’s campus, accounting for 57% of energy consumption even though they only take up 12% of the space. Fume hoods are a primary driver in this energy use. When left open, a single fume hood can use as much energy as 3.5 average American households in a year!
The best way to mitigate this energy consumption is to close the fume hood sash when the hood is not in use. Georgia Tech’s Shut the Sash campaign seeks to educate and motivate laboratory users to help save energy and increase overall efficiency on campus.
How does closing the fume hood save energy?
Fume hoods provide ventilation and limit exposure to hazardous fumes. When the sash is left open, air is constantly being exhausted outdoors. Georgia Tech’s laboratories use multiple types of fume hoods, including variable air flow fume hoods, which adjust airflow rates based upon the sash position or height. Therefore, the higher the sash position, the more exhaust air, and the more energy used.
