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Getting back, probably every sustainability guide contains some tips on how to reduce energy consumption.
The issue: often these are neither exhaustive nor do they share practical experiences as to how these changes can be achieved.
Therefore, let us dive in and overcome those two shortcomings.
Today's Lesson: How To Reduce Energy
What is required to drive impactful change
Number Of The Day
Increasing the time that hoods remain closed from 9% to 76% saved $3,412 per hood per year at Caltech (already in 2007!). Two other U.S. universities achieved savings of approximately $1,300 per hood per year. Of note, all these numbers come from before 2013!
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How To Reduce Energy Consumption
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.
These numbers come from the University of Cambridge Report Green Labs –Lab Energy 2019. Those are exemplary numbers from buildings from different sites. Size certainly matters here and apparently, also just direct energy consumption was measured as computational labs come with less than 2 Million kWh.
Still, reducing energy consumption is particularly challenging because we don’t see the electricity we consume. Unlike plastic waste, it doesn’t have a visible or immediate impact, regardless of how much we use.
Also, we often don’t directly pay for our energy consumption since electricity costs are typically covered by the university or company’s finance department.
The Motivation(s)
The first motivation should be how many opportunities there are - I have created a (as far as I know of) list entailing all categories of energy saving opportunties.
Reducing energy consumption in the lab not only saves money (academic labs can ask for refunds from the deductions of their grants) but also:
A) A smaller carbon footprint supports compliance with regulations and meets the sustainability expectations of funding bodies.
B) Additionally, reducing heat generated by instruments can:
i) lessen the load on air conditioning systems, saving energy, and
ii) lower overall temperatures, thereby preventing equipment from overheating on hot days.
C) Furthermore, reducing operational strain on equipment
decreases the risk of costly failures (e.g., filters in hoods, freezers overheating, or microscopes affected by scanning area and file size)
extends the equipment's lifespan (e.g., increasing the holding temperature of PCR machines).
The Three Major Challenges
We need to find a way to reveal the actual impact of energy use to create emotional relevance. This inlcudes helping people develop an intuition for what their equipment consumes.
Ideally, we measure and demonstrate firsthand the energy required to spin a centrifuge versus cooling it, and how much more energy is needed to cool a larger centrifuge. Otherwise, this post might provide some inspriation.
Are We?
“But what are we allowed to do?” is the first question you’ll hear.
It’s up to you (or your team) to determine what equipment can actually be turned off and what cannot. Can you turn off your freezer? No. Your mass spectrometer? Maybe. Your flow cytometer? Probably.
Take the time to consult specialists or review technical manuals to make these decisions.
Afterwards, create clear guidelines, such as “never turn off,” “turn off according to schedule,” or “always turn off,” for example. Calendars can help schedule turn-off times, but they must be easy to use, and everyone must be required to participate; otherwise, resistance will be too high!
Providing Safety
Remember, scientists are people applying (more or less) scientific methods to a given question. In essence, they are just people. That means they need to feel secure in making changes.
What would help you jump? A) a reason why you should B) seeing others doing it C) knowing it is save D) …? It is the very same with any other change that affects something valuable to you.
Therefore, embed sustainability into your lab culture. Make it a regular topic in lab meetings, include notes in equipment introductions, and incorporate sustainability into your protocols and SOPs. Most people aren’t early adopters, so they need to feel that caring for equipment is as important as caring for data.
Keep It Up!
Surprisingly, even after extensive education, scientists are still just people.
Any assistance, such as stickers, can be helpful. For example, auditory cues like beeps have been shown to reduce energy use in fume hoods significantly, with structured programs cutting footprints by over 80% in some cases.
From the four different designs of stickers that promote sash closing, the one on the left is certainly the most encouraging. Nevertheless, the one in the middle is probably the most visible as it stretches all along the fume hood and varies in color. You can find more here and here.
However, once these programs are discontinued, people often revert back to old habits. Regular reminders in lab meetings and other strategies (including stickers) will help. Challenges or "celebrations" can also build community and raise awareness.
Applying The Knowledge
Educate to provide a sense of urgency, but also security and clear goals.
Nevertheless, be prepared for pushback!
Don’t be afraid whether it will come, it will. And if not in words, people will simply not change their behavior.
However, don’t try to be smarter than them. For example:
In CAV fume hood systems, where airflow remains constant regardless of sash position, the energy savings from closing the sash might be minimal. On top, the larger energy savings depends on how many hoods you have in one room and how big the room is, since it is not just about the hood, but also whether the fans you do not see change activity!
For Constant Air Volume (CAV) hoods, the supply and exhaust fans deliver a steady airflow (originally of around 1,200 cubic feet per minute). This is typically accomplished through a bypass system that increases the volume of air entering the hood. As a result, a CAV hood exhausts the same amount of air regardless of the sash position. In contrast, a Variable Air Volume (VAV) hood adjusts the airflow, only exhausting the necessary amount to maintain a specified face velocity setpoint (a constant face velocity). You can read more on this website that also provides the original graphics. Note the different number of arrows indicating total volume.
Don’t hide this fact. Rather, share that establishing this habit is powerful because CAV systems are becoming obsolete.
The main points to address can be summarized as:
Purchasing new equipment
urning off vs. Standby vs. required to run at all times
Reduced use (e.g., adjusting PCR to 8°C instead of -4°C or shortening HPLC gradient times)
Miscellaneous (e.g., discarding unnecessary samples to keep freezers clean)
Remember to also change protocols & SOPs to anchor energy savings in your lab culture.
Upcoming Lesson:
Water Sustainability In The Laboratory
Asking You
Which proportion of wasted energy can be saved by properly closing fume hoods?
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