University of Michigan
IN-4: Innovation 4

The Sustainability Laboratory recognition program was designed by the Office of Campus Sustainability (OCS) to promote sustainable operations in teaching and research labs across our campus. Benefits from this program include but not limited to: The introduction to Green chemistry practices that our students and industry are expecting, Reduced consumption of energy and utilities, Reduction in use and generation of hazardous materials, Increase in use and recycling, Improved safety for lab students, faculty and staff The Sustainable Labs Program is an ongoing initiative, and for the purpose of this Innovation Credit we would like to focus on two new programs, the Shut the Sash campaign and the Ultra-Low Freezer Energy Conservation campaign. To reduce energy consumption and costs in all university laboratories, the Office of Campus Sustainability has launched the Shut the Sash awareness campaign. "Shut the Sash" reminds lab users to close the transparent barrier on chemical fume hoods when not in use to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. As part of the campaign, OCS is working with facility managers, safety coordinators, lab directors and students to place large, magnetic signs with reminders to close the sash on each unit. The goal is to achieve an overall energy reduction of 15 percent, equating to an avoidance of $2 million in energy costs and 9,531 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Two models of fume hoods are used in campus laboratories: Constant Air Volume (CAV) and Variable Air Volume (VAV). While both models will display the awareness signage, OCS representatives anticipate the VAV model's design will offer the greatest energy conservation — up to 50 percent — when the sash is closed because the unit's fan speed and volume of air being exhausted also is reduced. Ultra Low Temperature (ULT) freezers are common in life sciences, biochemistry and biology laboratories. They are not only expensive to procure, but also have significant operating costs and can account for 5% or more of a laboratory’s electricity use. Samples like DNA, RNA, antigens, bacteria, viruses, cell liners and more are being stored in these freezers. Today most ULT freezers operate between -80 and -86 C. Energy costs to run a ULT freezer vary from $750 to $1000/year and there are more than 1000 ULT freezers on our campus. Historically, the first ULT freezers operated at -60 C. 15 to 20 years ago most ULT freezers were running at -70 C and were referred to as ‘minus seventies. It is only recently that the modern -80 ULT freezers have become the industry norm. With energy conservation in mind, many higher education institutions are now looking at the option of raising the temperature of ULT freezers by 10 C without compromising the quality of research. Raising the temperature by 10 C has shown to save 10 to 15% of a freezer’s electricity costs and possibly up to 30% for some older freezer models. Studies have shown that DNA samples are stable with little or no denaturing when stored at temperatures as high as -20 C over 24 months. In a related study (Miller et. al.) have demonstrated that DNA, RNA, antigens and viruses are stable for twenty years at -70 C. Studies conducted at Wiley lab, University of Colorado also support that the above materials including competent cells are stable at -70 C for longer periods. Benefits of raising the temperature on ULT freezers to -70 C include: Up to 30% on energy savings Longer compressor life Less heat is generated in the laboratory.