Energy Saving Practices in the Lab

Labs use more energy than a typical classroom or office space– at Pitt, our lab spaces use 2.5 times the energy of our campus-wide average per square foot! Much of this energy use comes from more frequent air exchanges for lab safety, ultra-low temp freezers, and fume hoods. Help make your lab more efficient by following the energy-saving best practices below!

Did you know?

MIT’s Berkley Lab and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories have launched a Laboratory Benchmarking Tool to track and compare the energy usage of over 900 different labs around the world. Check out their site today and see how your lab compares!

Assess Your Lab's Energy Use

Start with an inventory

The first step in any assessment of energy use is to learn your baseline. Take stock of the equipment you use: drying ovens, incubators, thermal-cyclers, rotovaps, biosafety cabinets, centrifuges, etc. You can track actual usage with a meter. Interested in tracking your lab’s actual energy use? Contact us to sign up for a pilot initiative measuring your lab’s equipment using plug-in submeters.

See the gallery below for some common lab equipment used at Pitt, and average energy consumption associated with that equipment, or check this report from My Green Labs and the Center for Energy Efficient Laboratories for average plug loads of common lab equipment. What devices in your lab use the most energy?

Chill Up!

If your lab uses ultra-low temperature freezers, chilling up can help reduce energy consumption by up to 30% and extend the life of your freezer.

Learn More About Chilling Up
Lab Device Energy Use
Centrifuge energy use
Centrifuge
  • A centrifuge can produce an average of .14 kilowatt hours per day
  • Equivalent to 55.7 pounds of coal burned per day
Tissue Culture Hoods and UV Lights energy use
Tissue Culture Hoods, UV Lights
  • Can produce an average of .3 - .6 kilowatt hours per day
  • Equivalent to brewing 5 pots of coffee 
Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers energy use
Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers
  • Can produce an average of 16-22 kilowatt hours per day​ with older models producing 25-30 kWh per day
  • Equivalent to at most 33 miles driven per day 
Autoclave energy use
Autoclave
  • An autoclave can produce an average of 45+ kilowatt hours per day
  • Equivalent to 2,368 smartphones charged per day
PCR Machine energy use
PCR Machine
  • Can produce an average of 2.3 - 15 kilowatt hours per day
  • Equivalent to 789 smartphones charged per day 
Fume Hood energy use
Fume Hood
  • Can produce an average of 115 kilowatt hours per day
  • Equivalent to 55.7 pounds of coal burned per day
Gas Lasers energy use
Gas Lasers
  • Can produce an average of 15-120 kilowatt hours per day
  • Equivalent to 16-133 miles driven

What devices can I turn off, and when?

Next, determine what devices you can consolidate, unplug, or turn off intermittently to save energy.

Not all lab equipment needs to be on at all times. Consider the following practices that have been well-researched and vetted to conserve energy in your lab:

  • When not in use, turn off chilled centrifuges, PCR machines, and heating blocks, which can use up to 10kWh of electricity a day.
  • Shut down Bio Safety Cabinets when not in use. If your Bio Safety Cabinets use UV lights, UV sterilizers only need be on for 30 minutes in most tissue culture hoods. Read the American Biological Safety Association’s position paper on the use of UV lights in tissue culture hoods.
  • Consider investing in and installing timer plugs or smart plugs on equipment that must be turned on or off before/after your lab is staffed, but do not need to be “always-on."
  • Turn off and unplug devices such as desktop computers, printers, copiers, hot plates, and other devices that are less frequently used to reduce vampire plug loads.
  • Avoid unnecessary lighting. Turn off task lighting when not in use, and opt for daylight rather than overhead lighting when possible. Do not leave overhead lights on overnight.

Switch to Energy Efficient Devices

As your devices and equipment age and need replacements, look for the most energy efficient devices and equipment possible. However, the lifespan of much lab equipment can span decades if not longer– a time span during which technology and energy efficiency can advance by leaps and bounds.

In Pennsylvania, the state incentivizes equipment upgrades through Act 129 electric efficiency rebates. With this program, you may be eligible for rebates for the purchase of new, energy-efficient equipment, like those that are Energy Star and EPEAT-rated.

What Are Other Universities Doing?

  • Cornell University has created a Lab Energy Shutdown checklist
  • The University of Nottingham uses a Lab Walkaround Checklist to ensure energy saving practices are regularly implemented.
  • The University of Texas uses an end-of-day shutdown procedure that includes turning off devices such as hot water baths and heating blocks.
  • Harvard recommends shutting off PCR machines and refrigerated centrifuges
  • The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities recommends shutting off electronic microscopes, water baths and centrifuges.
  • Medline recommends using stickers for reminders to shut off non-essential equipment, particularly for weekends and holidays.