green labs guide
A guide to sustainable practices for science lab users at SFU
Table of Contents
3
Introduction
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4
Lab Energy Reduction
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7
What does it mean to be a “Green Lab”?
Why is it important?
How YOU can help raise awareness
Fume Hoods
Other energy saving habits
○ Freezers
○ Choosing the right sized appliance
○ Don’t use incubators as
refrigerators
○ Turn off chilled centrifuges and
ovens
○ Turn things off
Lab Waste Reduction
• Recyclable Waste
○ Paper
○ Refundable Containers
○ Mixed Containers
○ Electronics and Other Recyclables
9
10
Lab Water Saving Tips
References
2
Introduction
What does it mean to be a “Green Lab”?
At Simon Fraser University, like most university campuses, science labs are the
greatest consumers of energy on campus. Research and teaching intensive
laboratories require large amounts of electricity and natural gas to power
important equipment, such as fume hoods, centrifuges, and spectrometers, as
well as the usual light, computers, and heating in the building. A green lab is a
lab with members who are consciously working to reduce energy consumption
through simple behaviour changes.
SFU has an overall goal of reducing energy by 2% every year.1 With lab facilities
being large energy consumers, the Green Labs program is one way to help
reach that goal. The South Science Building (SSB) and Shrum Chemistry
Centre (Shrum C), combined, consume a total of 42,500 GJ of energy per year.
These two buildings have taken a leadership role in becoming the first to join the
program to reduce that consumption through behaviour change!
Did you know?
The electricity and natural gas
savings target for SSB + Shrum C
is enough to power 50 Lower
Mainland homes for a full year!
Why is this important?
A green lab saves money. In the pilot year of the Green Labs program in SSB,
expected savings totaled $16,000. With Shrum C now on board, the university is
expected to save $24,000 per year!2
A green lab reduces our carbon footprint! The less energy used in the labs,
the fewer carbon emissions SFU emits into the atmosphere. Green Labs is
projected to save 47 tonnes of CO2e emissions from entering the atmosphere
per year!2 That’s the same as removing ten passenger vehicles from the road per
year!3
How can YOU help raise awareness?
There are several ways you can help to further sustainability efforts in science
labs and throughout the SFU campus community:
● Become a Sustainability Ambassador!
(http://www.sfu.ca/content/sfu/sustainability/campus/staff/sustainabilityambassador-program.html)
● Join a Green Labs building Energy Committee! Email sustainability@sfu.ca.
1
SFU’s Energy Commitment Statement of Action in support of GP 38
http://www.sfu.ca/fs/files/Green_Initiatives/Energy_Commitment/Signed_Energy_Commitment.PDF
2
http://www.sfu.ca/sustainability/campus/initiatives/energy/green-labs.html
3
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html
3
Lab Energy Reduction
Table of Contents
Fume Hoods
Laboratory equipment, such as spectrometers and freezers
must remain on at all times, which contributes to the high
levels of energy consumption in labs. However, an easy
practice to form into habit is shutting fume hood sashes when
they are not in use.
Although there are several types of fume hoods, most used
in SFU laboratories are variable air volume, or VAV fume
hoods. The sashes on these types of fume hoods can easily
be shut when not in use.
Did you know?
A typical fume hood that runs 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year consumes 3.5times more energy than an average
house!3
Why close the sash?
Simple: Save energy. Save money.
A fume hood can use as much energy as 3.5 average
households and can contribute to more than 14.5 tonnes in
CO2e emissions!3 When a fume hood is left open, more
stress is placed on the heating and ventilation system in the
building to supply more conditioned air into the rooms to
maintain proper pressure and temperature. When the sash on
a fume hood is closed, the fan slows automatically, saving
energy. If a sash is left open when not in use, this can account
for more than $1,500 in wasted energy costs per year, per hood!4
Don’t use fume hoods for
storage!
Fume hoods should not be
used for storage purposes.
Using a fume hood to only
store materials impedes air flow
and uses excess energy. If a
fume hood is not being used
for research experiments, notify
Facilities to have them turn off
the fan.
http://www.sfu.ca/fs/Services/Bu
rnaby/MaintenanceRequests.html.
SFU Environmental Health & Safety recommends shutting fume
hood sashes when not in use.
3
Mills, E.; Sartor, D. Energy use and savings potential for laboratory fume hoods. Energy 2004,
30, 1859–1864.
4
Harvard University Office for Sustainability. HMS shut the sash campaign. Retrieved February 13,
2012, from http://www.green.harvard.edu/hms/shut-the-sash.
4
How high should the sash be?
•
Fume hoods at SFU have a sticker to
clearly identify the maximum
working sash height; this height
varies between fume hoods. As long
as the sash is at or below this sticker
while experiments are in progress,
researchers can ensure safety and
save energy.
•
For short periods of time and when
no hazard is present in the fume
hood (e.g. setting up experiements)
the sash may be raised above the
sticker indicating the maximum
working sash height.
Fume hood sash raised halfway.
What if the sash doesn’t close?
•
A fume hood in good working
condition should have a sash that
can be easily adjustable with one
hand.
•
If any materials obstruct the
opening of the sash preventing it
from closing, they should be
removed.
•
!!
Fume hood raised to a lower, working level.
If you think the sash is broken or
does not move easily, submit a
request to Facilities Services:
http://www.sfu.ca/fs/Services/Burna
by/Maintenance-Requests.html.
Sashes in SSB
•
Most fume hoods in SSB
require you to press a
green button in the upper right
of the fume hood to lower the
fan speed. One additional, but
simple step!
Fume hood shut all the way.
Thanks to Teresa Stefanelli for posing for the demonstrations!
5
Other easy energy saving habits
Maybe you are in a lab without a fume hood or in the administration
offices in the science buildings. What are some other easy things you
can do in your area to save energy?
Freezers
Adopt energy-efficient freezer maintenance procedures:
● Share freezers with neighbouring labs
● Check freezer door seals
● Move freezer to a cooler location
● Keep frost build up to a minimum
● Label items and clear out unneeded materials
These practices will not only save energy and money, but also
conserve space and eliminate unnecessary equipment!
Choose the right size appliance
When purchasing new appliances for your lab, make sure to
choose ones that only fit what you need. For example, you can
save energy with ovens by sharing with nearby labs. If an appliance
purchase will be too large for your direct needs, try combining
loads with other labs.
Do not use incubators as refrigerators
While chilling incubators look like refrigerators, they use 5-10 times
more electricity to maintain a narrow temperature range, even
close to room temperature.5 Find better ways to store chilled
materials. This could mean purchasing a dedicated freezer or
refrigerator.
Turn off chilled centrifuges and ovens when not in use
Most reach their operating temperature within 30-45 minutes of
turning them on. Keeping centrifuge rotors refrigerated, so that they
are ready immediately, also helps to reduce energy.5
Turn things off!
● Lights Turning off lights is probably the simplest task to save
energy in any building. But it is important that there is
sufficient light for health and safety purposes!
○ When you’re the only one in the lab, try using task lights
instead of lighting the entire lab.
○ When daylight is adequate, leave the lights off! Labs with
the luxury of large exterior windows do not always need
overhead lighting turned on.
● Equipment Turn off and unplug lab equipment when not in use centrifuges, water baths, balances, scales, ovens, heat pads, etc.
● Computers and Monitors It is okay to turn off your computer
rather than placing it on standby. It’s easy to do and saves
energy and money!
Need a reminder?
For reminder stickers
to help you
remember to shut
things off, email
sustainability@sfu.ca.
Something wrong?
To submit a
maintenance request
to Facilities Services
regarding equipment
maintenance, go to
http://www.sfu.ca/fs/S
ervices/Burnaby/Main
tenanceRequests.html.
More ideas?
For additional lab
energy saving
ideas and habits,
check out the
University of
California at Santa
Barbara’s handy
Lab Best Practices
Guide:
http://sustainabilit
y.ucsb.edu/LARS/b
est_practices/ener
gy/.
5
University of Calgary: Office of Sustainability and Environment, Health and Safety. Green Labs Guide. Retrieved January 16, 2012,
from http://www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability/files/sustainability/2)Green%20Labs%20Guide.pdf.
6
Lab Waste Reduction
Recyclable Waste
Lab waste should only be considered recyclable when it has not
come in contact with any hazardous contaminants and if it cannot
be reused. The following recycling services are available at SFU:
Paper
Paper recycling bins are provided in offices and common areas. The
following can be recycled in these containers:
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white paper
newspaper
envelopes
file folders
paper bags
phonebooks
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hard & soft cover books
magazines
shredded paper
cardboard (collapsed)
paper lab packaging material that is not
waxed, tissue, or contaminated
Please ensure that paper is clean and dry and remove other
packaging before recycling.
Refundable Containers
Refundable bins are provided in common areas and can be used to
recycle pop cans, water bottles, and any other containers with a
refundable label.
Mixed Containers
Mixed container bins are provided in common areas. The following
items can be recycled in these bins:
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Zero Waste at SFU
SFU is committed to
helping you reduce
your waste. To learn
more about zero
waste initiatives on
campus, visit
http://www.sfu.ca/sust
ainability/campus/res
ources/greentips/zero-waste.html.
cans
bottles
plastic containers (#1-7)
glass (all colours)
plastic bags
Please check recycling symbols on the bottom of plastic
containers and rinse and empty them before recycling.
Plastics and clear, green, and brown glass containers that
have been contaminated may be placed in the recycling bins
ONLY AFTER they have been fully decontaminated and
rinsed with water. Hazard communication and identification
labels should be defaced before recycling. If the container
you are trying to recycle is too large for the bin, fill out a
maintenance request for a pickup:
http://www.sfu.ca/fs/Services/Burnaby/MaintenanceRequests.html.
7
Electronics and Other Recyclables
Most items are collected at the Central Stores in Facilities Services building.
Please check with your main office for recycling and fill out a maintenance
request for pickup: http://www.sfu.ca/fs/Services/Burnaby/MaintenanceRequests.html.
The following items can be recycled:
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CDs
cell phones
toner cartridges
personal computers
televisions
monitors
films
batteries
light bulbs or tubes
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propane gas containers
cardboard
boxes of shredded confidential
material
concrete
metals
surplus (office furniture)
styrofoam
wood pallets
For a complete list of recycling available at SFU Burnaby, visit
http://www.sfu.ca/sustainability/campus/initiatives/ waste.html.
Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Waste
Extreme caution must be taken when handling chemical, biological,
and radiological waste. Only those who are trained and authorized to
handle these hazardous materials should do so. Please consult your
lab technician or supervisor for instruction.
A general protocol when purchasing chemicals is to only order the amount
of chemicals you expect to use in a particular experiment. This prevents
excess chemical waste and disposal costs and effects to the environment.
Sometimes, the chemicals you need might already be
available at SFU through another principle investigator. Check
Science Stores before ordering chemicals! http://sciencestores.science.sfu.ca/
8
Lab Water Saving Tips
Greening science labs doesn’t stop with energy and recycling. Even with
the large amount of rain we receive atop Burnaby Mountain and in the
rest of the Lower Mainland, it is imperative that water savings be taken
into consideration in science labs!
Here are some great ways to save water in the lab as well!
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Use distilled water only for rinsing. The energy required for
distilling water can be significant. Use tap water when possible
and distilled water only as needed.
Plan experiments with water and energy savings in mind.
Only use certain equipment when needed. Certain lab
equipment require large amounts of water and energy and
should only be turned on as needed.
○ Only turn on water baths when needed
○ Purchase the most efficient ice machines
○ Cycle off ice machines, autoclaves, stills, and other
equipment during nights and weekends when possible.
Install or use timers on critical or continuous water uses.
It’s easy to forget to turn off water when filling jugs or rinsing
glassware. Setting a timer will ensure top quality water and help
to prevent waste.
Use only the appropriate amount of water for each task.
Fix leaky faucets! Submit a maintenance request to Facilities
Services: http://www.sfu.ca/fs/Services/Burnaby/MaintenanceRequests.html.
9
References
Some portions of this guide were adapted from the University of Calgary’s “Green Labs Guide”
which can be found at:
University of Calgary: Office of Sustainability and Environment, Health and Safety. Green Labs
Guide. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from
http://www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability/files/sustainability/2)Green%20Labs%20Guide.pdf.
Other recommended resources from which this guide has borrowed information:
Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. How Green Is Your Lab? Retrieved
February 15, 2012, from http://green.cals.cornell.edu/pdfs/how_green_is_your_lab.pdf.
Harvard University Office for Sustainability. HMS Shut the Sash Campaign. Retrieved February 15,
2012, from http://www.green.harvard.edu/hms/shut-the-sash.
Johns Hopkins University: Hopkins Sustainability. Greening Your Lab. Retrieved February 15,
2012, from http://www.sustainability.jhu.edu/resources/greening_your_lab.html.
Mills, E.; Sartor, D. Energy use and savings potential for laboratory fume hoods. Energy 2004, 30,
1859–1864.
University of California at Santa Barbara: Laboratory Research and Technical Staff. Lab Best
Practices. Retrieved February 15, 2012, from http://sustainability.ucsb.edu/LARS/.
10