Greener Labs

Energy Efficient Sub-80 Freezers

Domestic Medical Systems UF455G & UF755G: Vacuum insulation, efficient compressor, evaporator and heat exchanger, water cooling option.

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Computing

Put your computer in power saver mode when not in use. 

Balances

One thing we discussed was using power strips for your two balances to reduce the energy use of the equipment when it is plugged in but idle. Our calculations estimate that you could save about $5-$10 per year, per balance. These savings may sound small but they quickly add up if everyone made the switch.

Chemical Management and Sharing

The aim of the surplus chemical program will be to reduce chemical waste streams and save money. By participating in the surplus chemical program, you will avert significant energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from chemical manufacturing.

Battery Recycling

Battery recycling is an easy way to have a direct impact on keeping heavy metals out of landfills and water supplies. We recommend that labs set up a small bin in their office.

Have one of these in your freezer?

When was the last time you defrosted your lab’s freezer? 6 months ago? a year ago? Spring 2003? Both ice and dust insulate heat dissipation and makes the compressor work harder, using energy that could be conserved.

By defrosting your lab’s freezer whenever ice reaches >2 cm and vacuuming the condenser coils outside when dust collects you will save electricity and money, and reclaim shelve space. Two half-hour shifts is all it takes.

Party in the hood! Fume hood, that is.

Fume hoods actually account for much more energy use than you might expect, since the fan that operates the hood is only a small fraction of total energy use. Most fume hoods operate on a “variable air volume” system, which means that the speed of the air circulating into the hood remains constant regardless of how high the sash is open but the volume of air will vary depending on the size of the face opening. So, the larger the fume hood opening, the larger the volume of air circulated through the hood, and since most of this air comes from outside the building it must be heated and cooled, using significant amounts of energy. By closing your sash, you can reduce the amount of energy your hood is consuming by 60-80%, saving hundreds to thousands of dollars per year and up to 15 tons of CO₂ from being emitted.

Question: But Sir! My lab uses a constant volume fume hood! What can I do to make my research greener?

Answer: Even constant volume hoods draw less air when closed and the sash is safest in its lowest position so shutting the sash is still a sound practice. You may also want to contact your building manager and ask about a variable air volume retrofit for your hood. You may also want to consider how often you use your fume hood. Do you need a dedicated fume hood for your research? Many researchers have had tremendous success with hood sharing programs.

Top 5 reasons to microscale your reactions!

Save money! Carrying out synthetic and analytical work on the small scale requires that smaller amounts of materials will need to be ordered. This means more expirements for you and more funds for your lab.

Increase precision! Working with smaller amounts of amounts of materials can promote more attention to detail, which improves the quality of the science being done.

Save time! Microscaling reactions can reduce the amount of time needed for workup and purification

Reduce waste! Working with a small scale means there will be less hazardous waste to dispose of (which also saves money!).

It’s safer! Working with a small scale also means that there is a reduced likelihood and severity of accidents resulting in personal exposure to hazardous chemicals.