International Laboratory Freezer Challenge
  • Register
    • Site Coordinators
  • the challenge
  • Sponsors
  • Resources
  • Awards
    • Award Winners 2022
    • Award Winners 2021
    • Award Winners 2020
    • Award Winners 2019
    • Award Winners 2018
    • Award Winners 2017
  • Contact
  • MGL Home
Picture

Not Too Empty, Not Too Full...

2/21/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Did you know that ​laboratory freezers with too much empty space run inefficiently because they have to work harder to maintain their set point? There’s definitely a sweet spot when it comes to cold storage; make sure your units are not too empty, and not too full! According to Lab Manager, freezers that are too bare have less thermal mass and, if they are upright freezers, may lose all their cold air rapidly with a single door opening. If you have a freezer with excessive empty space, you can fill that space with gel packs, jugs of water, or even empty ​EPS coolers to help the unit retain its thermal mass during door openings. Just be sure not to load up your freezer with too many containers of water all at once! Freeze a few at a time to fill any empty space.
 
If you have cold storage units with a lot of empty space, consider whether you could consolidate multiple refrigerators or freezers. If you could consolidate and free up an entire cold storage unit, your lab could then unplug it, which could save as much energy as a home. If the unplugged unit isn’t needed in the long run, you could even free up valuable floor space in your lab. Just think what you could do with that extra space!


Haven't received your Freezer Challenge score sheet yet? Email us at info@mygreenlab.org to request it! Score sheets are sent out automatically, but sometimes they find their way into spam folders, and sometimes they can't seem to find their way past firewalls, so don't hesitate to contact us if you need yours resent.
0 Comments

Why a Freezer Challenge

2/13/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
In last week's blog post we shared that the environmental impact of refrigerants is thought to be one of the greatest contributors to climate change. This alone would be a great reason for holding an international cold storage competition. It turns out, there are also several others:
  • Collectively, cold storage is often the highest energy consumer in labs. A single older -80C freezer, also known as an ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer, can consume as much energy as a home every day (~20 - 25 kWh/day)!
  • Cold storage is expensive to replace. A properly maintained freezer or refrigerator will last a lot longer than one that is not well cared for.
  • Cold storage takes up a lot of valuable real estate in a lab. By removing old samples and consolidating units, it's possible to free up some extra space for other types of equipment.
... and it's fun! :)  Where else could you get your photo in Nature by properly maintaining and caring for your cold storage units?!

0 Comments

Managing Cold Storage Isn't Just About the kWh

2/6/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Managing cold storage isn't just about the kWh.
Implementing proper management and destruction of refrigerants would have THE GREATEST IMPACT on mitigating global warming.  Period.  More than rooftop solar, more than planting trees, and more than walkable cities, properly managing and disposing of hydroflurocarbon (HFC) refrigerants has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 89.74 Gigatons. This analysis was done by a team of climate scientists and published in the eye-opening book Drawdown.

What's the problem with HFCs?  They have a high global warming potential (GWP) - anywhere from 1,000 - 9000 times that of CO2.

What can you do about this?  If you're retiring a freezer this year, take an interest in its end of life.  Ask your facilities management team how the refrigerants are being removed, and inquire into what will happen to the refrigerants next.  And make sure your freezer is disposed of expeditiously - you don't want it to start leaking!  If you're purchasing a new freezer, avoid purchasing units that contain HFCs.   It doesn't matter how inexpensive they are, just don't buy them.  It's literally the number one thing you can do to help mitigate global warming - and it gets you extra points in the Freezer Challenge!


0 Comments

    Archives

    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

The Freezer Challenge is a program coordinated by the non-profit organizations
​My Green Lab
® and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories, and sponsored by various companies with an interest in promoting the most energy efficient cold storage options.
Picture
Picture
Photo used under Creative Commons from misscreativecakes
  • Register
    • Site Coordinators
  • the challenge
  • Sponsors
  • Resources
  • Awards
    • Award Winners 2022
    • Award Winners 2021
    • Award Winners 2020
    • Award Winners 2019
    • Award Winners 2018
    • Award Winners 2017
  • Contact
  • MGL Home