Resource efficiency in laboratory operations

You can save a significant amount of energy with one simple hand movement: Always shut the sash when you are not actually working with your hands in the hood. Always shutting the front sash and side baffles brings significant energy savings. It is also recommended that air volumes are reduced – where possible – in zones/rooms that are not in use. If special changes to the ventilation settings have been agreed in your laboratories, they can – following consultation with the Occupational and Environmental Safety Unit – be modified in the central control system by the Facility Management Division.

A few questions can provide guidance here: Are all the devices really being used or can the number be reduced? Is the space being utilised to optimum effect? And can old samples or samples that are no longer needed be disposed of?

Raising the temperature of fridges and freezers significantly reduces their energy consumption. Each working group should therefore review the situation for themselves. Practical laboratory experience has shown that it is possible e.g. to store less sensitive samples at -70°C instead of -80°C.

Remove any ice that has built up on a regular basis as this saves energy. It also helps to clean seals and filters frequently. Keeping sample storage facilities tidy can also save energy as leaving the door open for longer periods while looking for samples allows warmth in. A classification system can help locate samples quickly.

The various devices in laboratories in particular consume significant amounts of energy. In consultation with others in your laboratory, define which devices can be switched off when not in use and identify/label devices, which must always remain switched on. It is usually expedient to switch off devices such as centrifuges, hot plates, PCR machines, autoclaves, etc. when no-one else needs to use them directly after you. Share devices as far as possible or use the research infrastructure of the HHU core facilities. You can find an overview of the core facilities and technology platforms here. 

When procuring new devices, you should select the most energy-efficient models possible. The Energy Star or the energy efficiency class provide good guide values here. Longevity should be taken into account when procuring new devices: Inquire about manufacturer maintenance and repair packages.

While changes in laboratory practices must always be considered carefully to ensure that safety and quality are not compromised, there are also things you can do here to make processes more sustainable.

Clever coordination of chemical storage and orders helps reduce wastage, as does sharing/passing materials on to other research groups. Cooperation between different working groups, as is currently being implemented in the Department of Chemistry, optimises the use of chemicals.

The central chemicals storeroom at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences also has an automated system for the redistillation of solvents and solvent mixtures. This will shortly be available to users who have received corresponding briefing and will enable significant material and energy savings to be achieved.

You should also keep an eye on expiry dates and only order new materials when the existing ones have been used up. It’s easy to maintain an overview if you keep an inventory of all consumables and it is helpful to add “storage life” information to the register of hazardous substances.

Here’s a simple guideline: It is sustainable to reduce single-use items, packaging material and laboratory waste, replace toxic/harmful chemicals with harmless alternatives where possible and purchase durable devices and tools. Incidentally: Procurement law supports such approaches by enabling social and environmental aspects to be taken into account in each phase of a procurement process.

Ventilation systems are a key driver of energy consumption in laboratories. Accordingly, air renewal in the ventilation systems is to be reduced – as far as possible – during restricted operation mode (at night, plus all day at weekends and on public holidays). When realising this measure, account will be taken of the requirements of research and safety in the laboratories.