Ventilation Upgrades Slated For UMass Med Building

A Newton-based company announced Tuesday that it’s been awarded a $1.2 million contract to install an air-quality monitoring system in University of Massachusetts Medical School laboratories.

Aircuity will be installing an indoor environmental quality monitoring system in all of the lab areas of the Lazare Research Building, the company said. The system sends signals to building management to adjust the ventilation rates according to the actual conditions of the space, which is expected to save money by significantly lowering energy use.

Work should be complete by mid-December, said Jim Fessenden, UMass Medical School spokesman.

“UMass Medical School’s commitment to ‘Growing Green’ has made them a shining example of how to use less energy and reduce their carbon footprint, and we are both proud and honored to be a part of their sustainability effort,” said Chuck McKinney, vice president of marketing at Aircuity, in a statement.

The monitoring system is part of a $1.8 million project to make Lazare more energy efficient, the school said. The project also included upgrades to some fume hoods, and is expected to lower annual utility costs by $500,000, the school said.

Laboratory ventilation systems account for up to 60 percent of a research facility’s utility costs, the school said.

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