In 2008, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) embarked on a groundbreaking journey in research infrastructure with the creation of the Smart Labs Program. Spearheaded by Wendell Brase, then Vice Chancellor for Administrative and Business Services, alongside the UCI Energy Team including Matthew Gudorf and Mark Gomez, this initiative aimed to revolutionize laboratory operations. Designed to achieve deep reductions in energy use, carbon emissions, and capital costs while enhancing safety, the Smart Labs Program became a model with easily replicable results.
The Benefits of the Smart Labs Design:
Enhanced Safety: Through the integration of advanced monitoring systems and real-time data collection, Smart Labs optimize safety/minimize risk by reducing prolonged exposure when events occur. UCI was able to reduce insurance costs and liability by having the best practice in place.
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability: Smart Labs are designed with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as demand control ventilation and LED lighting with controls, exhaust fan discharge velocity optimization, low pressure drop design for fans and air distribution system and LED Lighting with controls, these facilities achieve dramatic reductions in energy costs and carbon emissions. UCI has demonstrated energy savings of 50%-60% in labs, significantly reduce energy use in these traditionally energy intensive spaces.
Real-time Data: The Smart Labs design delivers data analytics that are especially beneficial to environmental health and safety personnel to track performance, anticipate failures (thus enhancing safety), accelerate learning and continuous improvement, and provide real time commissioning to avoid performance degradation. EH&S can identify good and bad practices in the labs before they become crises and providing the foundation for continuous learning and innovation.