Team:BostonU/GreenGEM/Equipment
Equipment
Equipment use is a major source of energy consumption in labs. Mindful equipment use can decrease energy consumption, preserve the quality of samples, and enhance lab safety. In this Action Area, you will find a series of best practices concerning sustainable equipment use.
#1: Close the Door!
Always make sure the doors on all of your equipment are closed securely. This includes freezers, incubators, and autoclaves. Closing the door reduces energy loss. For example, if your freezer door is open, your freezer is working hard to bring your entire lab space down to the freezer temperature. This will decrease the lifetime of your freezer by placing undue strain on it.
Moreover, keeping doors closed reduces incidence of contamination, especially in the case of incubators (think about it - they're designed to be ideal for microbial growth! So anything that happens to get in there could grow). As for freezers and refridgerators, keeping the door closed ensures that the temperature inside of the freezer does not rise too high, so that any temperature-sensitive samples (like most enzymes) are secure. A little bit of extra time to make sure the door closes properly can conserve energy and keep your valuable samples safe.
#2: Turn Off Devices
According to a study from the Kirschner lab at Harvard Medical School, turning off benchtop devices overnight and when they're not in use can save up to 50% of the energy used by these devices. [1] Such devices include gel boxes, tabletop microcentrifuges, and thermocyclers.
Turning off devices when not in use will also preserve the lifetime of the device, which saves money in the long run and decreases down time with broken devices. Take a little time to turn off your devices before you leave the lab! It's a good habit to get into and will save you time and money.
#3: Schedule Regular Maintenance
Keeping a regular maintenance schedule for your devices can prolong the operational lifetime and minimize energy consumption by keeping the device running efficiently. Freezers and refridgerators especially have filters and compressors that need to be regularly cleaned and maintained. Usually, a good rule of thumb is to schedule maintenance once a month.
#4: Regularly Defrost Your Freezers
Defrosting your freezer can improve cooling efficiency and free up space to store more samples. Defrosting should be done once a freezer has 3/8" or more of ice buildup. [2] Freezers that aren't properly defrosted can have trouble closing securely and work harder to keep the interior temperature at an optimal level. Regular defrosting preserves the operational lifetime of your freezer and ensures the security of valuable samples.
#5: Sharing is Caring
Sharing equipment with other labs can cut energy consumption in half - think of the difference in energy cost between one -80C freezer and two. Keeping an inventory of shared space helps with organization and record keeping as well. Further, sharing equipment and space opens the door for collaboration with other labs. Try sharing with other labs!