Sustainability shortlist

The recognition is for TEL’s upgrade of the ventilation and control systems at the University of Reading’s chemistry teaching laboratory fume cupboards. This is on track to save the institution 343 tCo2 annually, taking it towards its 2016 35% carbon reduction target. The upgrade is also set to save £90,000 in annual energy bills, paying for itself in under three years.

TEL fitted variable airflow volume (VAV) controllers to 44 existing fume cupboards, which automatically adjust airflow according to need. Simultaneously, the initiative generated significant improvements in the thermal comfort of laboratories, keeping them warmer than before. 

The University of Reading’s energy manager, Dan Fernbank, said: "TEL’s project demonstrated that sustainability can go hand-in-hand with safety and comfort, providing the case for a rollout of fume cupboard improvements; a working group has now been established for an estate-wide review."