The university of Cambridge spent approximately 19 million pounds on energy in 2018. On average, about 60-75% of all energy is consumed by laboratories.
Therefore, these steps, can significantly cut down on energy consumption while maintaining high standards of research and operation:
1. Develop a Comprehensive Energy Plan
- Schedule Machine Usage: Create a clear plan for when to turn machines on and off. Coordinate with your lab mates to decide on the best times to power down, use standby modes, or keep equipment running.
- Define Shutdown Protocols: Establish clear rules, such as “Turn off directly after use,” “Ask before turning off,” “Never turn off,” or “Turn off if you’re the last person leaving the lab.” This ensures everyone is on the same page, reducing unnecessary energy use.
Pro Tip: Optimize Equipment Readiness: Measure how long it takes for your equipment to get ready and share this information in a collaborative Excel sheet with your team. This will help you plan better and avoid leaving equipment running longer than necessary.
2. Smart Purchasing Decisions
- Choose Energy-Efficient Equipment: When purchasing new equipment, prioritize models with lower energy consumption. Look for certifications like the ACT label and Energy Star, which indicate high efficiency and lower environmental impact.
3. Optimize Settings
- Adjust Temperature Settings: Reconsider the temperature settings on your -80°C freezers, refrigerators, and air conditioning units.
- Collaborate with Building Administration: Work with your building administration and HVAC personnel to optimize temperature settings and air exchanges.
- Fine-Tune Experimental Settings: During experiments, review your settings to ensure they are energy-efficient. This includes scanning areas for microscopy or test runs to establish optimal settings.
Pic energy consumption from last time pdf with S-labs consumption of HVAC vs others
4. Efficient Equipment Usage
- Choose the Right Piece of Equipment: For example, the appropriate centrifuge for your needs—smaller models often consume less energy.
- Maximize Dishwasher and Autoclave Efficiency: Only operate dishwashers and autoclaves when they are full, reducing the number of cycles and saving energy.
- Upgrade Software and Packages: Look for newer, more efficient software or packages that require less processing power.
- Optimize Server and Storage Usage: Make conscious choices about which servers to use and explore ways to save on hard drive space.
5. Regular Maintenance
- Keep Equipment Well-Maintained: Regularly clean equipment, change necessary filters, and ensure refrigeration coils and door seals on refrigerators and freezers are clean and functioning efficiently.
- Declutter your Lab: Periodically check your samples and reagents, discarding anything you no longer need. This reduces the load on your storage equipment and improves overall efficiency.
6. Collaborative Sharing
- Share Laboratory Equipment: Partner with other departments to share equipment. This not only saves on energy by reducing the number of instruments running but also cuts costs by sharing expenses with other research groups.
- When starting a new experimental series, try to involve collaborators to conduct test runs to validate hypotheses before establishing new methods in your lab
7. Optimize Equipment
- Use Multi-Plugs and Smart Plugs: Employ multi-plugs or smart plugs to easily turn off ovens, water baths, and other equipment during inactivity. Automated on/off cycles can also ensure equipment isn’t left running unnecessarily.
- Improve Equipment Efficiency: Use covers for water baths and replace oil baths with more efficient alternatives like metal heating blocks or modern oil pumps. These small changes can lead to significant energy savings over time.