Ultra-Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers

Ultra-Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers

Like refrigerators, ultra-ultra-low temperature freezers (UULTs,) are often forgotten about in the Freezer Challenge.  But they shouldn't be.   Though not nearly as ubiquitous as other forms of cold storage, UULTs can consume 2-3x more energy than a ULT.  That's enough energy for 2-3 homes, everyday!

Why do UULTs use so much energy?  Because they are typically set to -150C, which is not an easy temperature to maintain.  

So if your lab has UULTs, make sure you include them when completing the Freezer Challenge score sheet.  Dusting coils, removing old samples, and retiring UULT units can have a significant impact.  It's also not uncommon to find samples stored at -150C that do not need to be stored at such a low temperatures. If your samples fall into this category you could score major points -and save lots of energy - by moving them to another type of cold storage unit.