Laboratory owners and operators rarely know how their building
operating costs compare to similar facilities. Benchmarks provide
this measure of performance, helping personnel to identify potential
cost-saving opportunities. However, laboratories are difficult
to assess because many have unique characteristics.
HEEPI has developed a Carbon
and Energy Benchmarking Tool which allows laboratory managers
to compare the performance of their laboratory facilities to
similar facilities and thereby help identify potential energy
cost savings opportunities. This Excel spreadsheet collates
energy consumption, calculates carbon dioxide emissions, compares
performance with relevant Carbon Trust, HEFCE and HEEPI energy
benchmarks (see below), and ranks campus buildings by their
cost saving or carbon dioxide reduction potential.
HEEPI have produced updated energy benchmarks for different
types of laboratories, based on a workshop held at the University
of Warwick on 26 April 2007. Click here to view HEEPI's
Laboratory Benchmarks.
The US Labs21 initiative has developed an Energy
Benchmarking Tool to allow its partners to compare the energy
performance of their laboratory facilities with others, in terms
of energy use metrics (e.g. BTU/sf/y) as well as system metrics
(e.g. W/cfm). It has also published several papers on the process
of laboratory benchmarking.
The US Labs21 initiative has also published several papers
on the process of laboratory benchmarking.
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