The Importance of ENERGY STAR
This week we are excited to bring you a blog post from Joe LaPorte, Director, Product Group at PHC Corporation of North America. Joe is one of the most knowledgeable people we know about freezers; he has been working with ENERGY STAR for over a decade on standards for laboratory units. The International Laboratory Freezer Challenge is made possible due to the generosity of our sponsors. We are incredibly grateful to PHC for supporting the Freezer Challenge at the Gold level, and to Joe for sharing this thoughts on ENERGY STAR below: Since Energy Star was first introduced for the laboratory grade products category in late 2017, many who purchase new ultra-low freezers have begun to rely on the ENERGY STAR data for input in their buying decisions. The ENERGY STAR website section related to laboratory freezers and refrigerators provides detailed information about energy performance that can be expected under real world operating conditions. While the information is accurate, most purchasers, however, do not know how these overall energy consumption models are calculated. Since end users typically operate their freezers at -80°C or -70°C (or within this range) these calculations include energy consumption at both temperatures. Furthermore, since many freezers are accessed multiple times a day, the ENERGY STAR profile at both temperatures is based on 6 door openings during an 8 hour period. A simulated product load representing typical use patterns was developed under consultation with the Department of Energy, qualified ultra-low freezer manufacturers and end users. ENERGY STAR testing is conducted on empty freezers. Usage patterns vary from one installation to the next. This is why the ENERGY STAR evaluation is independently conducted by EPA licensed testing laboratories in an effort to assure an accurate ‘apples-to apples’ comparison of different models and freezer brands. Additionally, most end users are interested in other performance criteria such as temperature recovery after door openings and interior uniformity in the steady state, both of which contribute to the overall performance profile of an ultra-low freezer. Thus, in addition to the ENERGY STAR testing criteria focused mostly on power consumption, the independent testing agency typically provides client manufacturers with a full data set on how ultra-low freezers published in the ENERGY STAR certification schedule performed beyond the minimal specification. An informed decision in advance of an ultra-low temperature freezer purchasing decisions requires examination of this data provided by both ENERGY STAR and the manufacturer.
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Cold Rooms Count
Last month we posted about the importance of considering cold rooms as part of the Freezer Challenge. Guy Grant from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign heard our message. He is pictured here decommissioning a cold room as part of the Freezer Challenge. Because of this action, the lab now has extra space and has earned extra points in the Challenge. This week take a moment to consider whether you need all of the samples being stored in your cold rooms... or whether you still need your cold room at all. If, like Guy, you find yourself going above and beyond what we have listed on the score sheet, be sure to include your actions in the Additional Information section. Freezer Challenge Deadline Extended: May 15th
In honor of Earth Month we're extending the Freezer Challenge deadline to May 15th! With this extra time we hope you'll try to complete one more action on the score sheet to conserve even more resources. Last year the Freezer Challenge saved ~1.6 million kWh - let's see if we can make that 2.5 million this year! Is there evidence that samples are safe at -70C?
Spoiler alert - YES! If you've been following My Green Lab, you know that we coined the phrase '-70 is the new -80'. Adjusting your ultra low temperature freezer set point to -70C can reduce energy consumption by 30-40% and prolong the lifetime of a compressor-based freezer. For years we've been directing people to check out the incredible crowd-sourced document, that Dr. Kathy Ramirez-Aguilar at CU Boulder put together, of samples that have been stored at -70C. And now, thanks to our collaboration with the European organization EGNATON on the Freezer Challenge, we have been made aware of these two publications, which show sample stability at -70C for yeasts and molds, and the enzyme PON1. Furthermore, suppliers such as GE and Qiagen have updated their storage recommendations to -70C for certain reagents as well. The community is still working on obtaining evidence for a wide range of samples, but it's clear the evidence is mounting in favor of safe, sustainable sample storage at -70C. If you choose to set your ULT freezer to -70C as part of the Freezer Challenge be sure to add your name and your samples to the Google doc! We would also be happy to add them for you - just email us at info@mygreenlab.org. Spring Cleaning!
Spring is officially here (in the Northern hemisphere) and that means it's time to do some spring cleaning. That's right - it's time to put on some gloves and dig through your refrigerators, freezers, and cold rooms to find those long-forgotten samples. Thankfully there is a reward for your hard work - Freezer Challenge points! Whether you're cleaning out your cold storage units for the first time ... ever, or whether you have just cleaned them out, the Freezer Challenge gives generous points to any lab willing to re-evaluate the samples they store in their freezers and refrigerators. Cleaning out cold storage units has three main benefits:
Happy cleaning! |
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