How Boston Children’s Hospital is Leading Sustainable Lab Practices with the "Just Shut It" Fume Hood Competition
Boston Children’s Hospital Celebrates Energy Conservation with the "Just Shut It" Competition
Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) is setting new standards in sustainable lab practices with its annual "Just Shut It" competition, a campaign focused on encouraging lab personnel to close fume hood sashes when not in active use. This practice reduces energy consumption, minimizes carbon emissions, and enhances lab safety. This year’s competition involved nearly 200 labs and 199 fume hoods across the BCH Research Enterprise, making it one of our most impactful initiatives yet.
Throughout the month-long contest, BCH Green Labs made surprise visits to measure each hood’s sash position. Labs received color-coded smiley face stickers—a happy face for closed hoods and a sad face if left open. These stickers not only served as real-time feedback but also awarded raffle entries for each closed sash, making it a fun, engaging way to drive sustainability in labs.
And the Winner Is: The Sola-Visner Lab!
After a month of monitoring, the Sola-Visner lab emerged as the 2024 "Just Shut It" competition winner! This lab went beyond simply closing the sash; they created custom “Shut the Sash” posters, actively educated their floor on the importance of the practice, and even staged a live-action demonstration of proper fume hood use. Their efforts earned them bonus points, securing their top position and solidifying their role as sustainability champions at BCH.
The Importance of Shutting the Sash for Energy Conservation and Lab Safety
Why shut the sash? Fume hoods are among the highest energy-consuming equipment in a research lab. When left open, a single hood can consume as much energy as three to four homes. Open fume hoods pull conditioned air out of the lab, which then needs to be replaced, significantly driving up energy costs and carbon emissions. By keeping fume hood sashes closed when not in use, BCH labs are not only conserving energy but also contributing to our sustainability goals.
Beyond energy savings, closing the fume hood sash is critical for lab safety. A closed sash provides a physical barrier that helps prevent exposure to hazardous materials, creating a safer work environment for lab personnel.
A Partnership for Progress: Digital Monitoring and BCH's Sustainability Goals
This year, we partnered with Sustainablyⓒ, who provided digital monitoring systems that were temporarily installed to help track sash use in real time. The data gathered will help us understand sash behavior patterns, support ongoing lab energy efficiency efforts, and provide insights to continually improve lab sustainability.
BCH’s Global Recognition in Sustainable Lab Competitions
Our "Just Shut It" campaign is part of BCH’s broader commitment to sustainable laboratory practices, which has already earned us international recognition. This year, Boston Children's Hospital won the top prize in the International Shut the Sash Competition organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) University Alliance Group. This award underscores our leadership in lab sustainability, reflecting our ongoing efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and promote safe, energy-efficient lab environments.
Building Momentum for a Sustainable Future, One Sash at a Time
The "Just Shut It" competition is more than just a fun annual challenge. It’s a key component of our mission to foster a culture of sustainability within BCH labs. Each happy face sticker represents a step forward in our efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, and the enthusiastic participation from labs across the research enterprise shows that small actions can indeed have a big impact.
Congratulations to the Sola-Visner lab and all the labs that participated! Through collective efforts, Boston Children’s Hospital is paving the way for a greener, safer, and more sustainable research environment.