Energy Efficient Labs

Transcription

1 Energy Efficient Labs Due to the nature of the work undertaken in laboratories, labs use on average 1.5 times the energy a year compared with office space. The approximate distribution of electricity in UQ labs is shown below. The US EPA s signature environmentally driven laboratory program Labs for the 21 st Century estimate that most labs can make energy savings of up to 50%. 1 Switch off and save Switching off equipment when leaving the lab saves energy. Air conditioning, lights, computers, monitors, printers and appliances should be switched off where possible. Switch off and save stickers can be placed near switches to act as a reminder. Switch off and save stickers are available from the Sustainability Office. Air conditioning Ensure doors and windows are kept closed in air conditioned space, particularly doors leading to stairwells and external areas. Use air conditioning during typical operational hours only. To reschedule set operational times and/or investigate installing an out-of-hours button, pfassist@pf.uq.edu.au. 1 US EPA, Energy Star, Laboratory Energy Benchmarking Initiative, accessed 20 May Energy Efficient Labs Page 1 Issue No. 2

2 Dash the sash Fume hoods are significant energy users in the lab. The sash is the protective barrier between the experiment and the researcher. Air is constantly drawn through the fume cupboard and discharged through the ducts outside. Keeping the fume cupboard sash closed while not in use or unattended significantly reduces energy use. Dash the Sash stickers are available from the Sustainability Office. When the sash is open the pump operates at a higher rate using more energy. It draws more clean air from the lab through the cupboard. This also places a higher load (and uses more energy) on the lab air conditioning system as the fresh air drawn into the lab to replace that discharged through the ducts needs to be either cooled in summer or heated in winter. The sash should be kept as low as possible during operation and only raised to the highest level during set up of the experiment. In general the sash should be shut. The Fume Cupboards fact sheet has more energy saving ideas. Biological Safety and Laminar Flow Cabinets Laminar flow and biological safety cabinets provide a microbe free work environment, generally for cell culture. Both types of cabinets provide sterile air (via a fan) to the work area which is passed through a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. The air leaving the laminar flow cabinet is not actively prevented from reaching the operator and the laboratory. In comparison, biological safety cabinets actively prevent the air from reaching the operator or laboratory to prevent contamination to the worker. Both types of cabinets use significant amounts of energy and affect the operation of the lab air conditioning system as it works to balance air flows. Laminar flow cabinets are less energy intensive than biological safety cabinets and, where appropriate, these should be used in preference. 2 It is important to use the right size and type cabinet for the job and worthwhile to check manufacturers specifications before purchase. To save energy, ensure they are turned off when not in use and ensure UV lights are not left on for extended periods after use. Appliance efficiency Check the efficiency of electrical appliances by borrowing the energy monitoring equipment available from the Sustainability Office. Recording the energy consumption (e.g. kwh/yr) and comparing it to manufacturer s specifications or with energy use of the same piece of equipment measured again or at a later date can help you monitor its efficiency. Contact the Sustainability Office for access to this equipment at sustainability@uq.edu.au. 2 Phillips, D, 2009 Biological Safety Cabinets Energy Efficiency Saves Resources. BIOforum Europe 05/2009, pp 34-36, GIT VERLAG GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, Energy Efficient Labs Page 2 Issue No. 2

3 Lighting Some simple actions can be taken to make significant energy savings. methods can help reduce energy for lighting: The following Switching off lighting during the day if there is sufficient natural light. Use task level lighting to direct light to where it is needed rather than lighting large areas. This may be undertaken in conjunction with switching off overhead lights during the day. Labelling light switches so that operators can isolate the switch that will operate their area rather than switching on all the lights. Refer to the Lighting fact sheet for more information on energy savings from lights. Equipment Switching off equipment when not in use will also save energy. For example, most chillers, ovens, autoclaves, water baths and incubators reach their operating temperature within minutes. Often this type of equipment is left on permanently as researchers do not want to delay their experiment to wait for equipment to reach operating temperatures. This can waste energy (and water). With a little forward planning this waste can be reduced. Look at the manufacturer s Warm up time stickers are available from the Sustainability Office. specifications and find the warm-up period. If it is not specified then time the warm-up period yourself. Record the warm up time on the Warm up time sticker available from the Sustainability Office and place it on the equipment. Use this as a guide for when to switch equipment on and plan your day s work with this in mind. For example, often glassware needs to be kept in an oven prior to use to prevent condensation. If it takes half an hour for the oven to reach the operating temperature and the glassware needs to be in the oven for half an hour before use, instead of storing glassware in the oven, turn on the oven an hour before the glassware is needed. Heat losses from equipment such as ovens increase the load on the air conditioning system. Minimising the time equipment is running will have the added benefit of reducing the load on the air conditioning system. Energy Efficient Labs Page 3 Issue No. 2

4 Size does matter Significant amounts of resources can be wasted by using appliances which are oversized for the task. For example, autoclaves use the same amount of energy to operate regardless of whether the load is small or large. Similarly, glass washers use the same amount of energy for one cycle whether it is a full or half load. With a little bit of preparation it is often possible to schedule equipment to operate with a full load. Alternatively, if equipment is significantly or frequently oversized consider downsizing. Investigate whether a neighbouring lab has similar equipment needs and could pool resources, or for infrequent larger loads, use their equipment for larger loads and downsize yours. When purchasing equipment, consider the frequency and size of use. If only a rack of test tubes need to be autoclaved then a smaller bench mounted autoclave may be more appropriate than a floor mounted machine. Resources such as ice, dry ice and liquid nitrogen use significant amounts of energy to generate, transport and store. Ensure container sizes are the minimum required for the task, so that excessive amounts are not wasted unnecessarily. Spring clean and save Samples are often left in fridges and freezer when they are no longer needed. This takes up valuable storage space and in some cases can mean additional fridges and/or freezers are operating unnecessarily. Annual (or more frequent) audits of samples in fridges, freezers, walk-in-freezers and on shelves, and correct disposal of out of date samples can free up significant storage space. Annual review of storage space may allow consolidation of samples and a freezer to be switched off. Permanently switching off a freezer can save approximately 600kWh/year which is the equivalent to switching off 13 compact fluorescent light bulbs. 3 Defrost freezers frequently Ice acts as an insulator. When it builds up in a freezer, the system uses more energy to maintain the required temperature. Freezers should be defrosted when the ice is greater than 5 mm. 4 Similarly, cleaning the fridge and freezer coils behind the freezer annually to remove dust and other deposits will improve heat transfer and reduce energy use. 3 Based on a 500L upright freezer at 620kWh/year and 13W CFL light bulbs (equivalent to a 60W incandescent bulb) operating for 10 hours per day. 4 Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, 02 February 2009, Saving energy when using refrigerators and freezers, Energy Efficient Labs Page 4 Issue No. 2

5 Energy Recovery: the bigger picture Whilst energy recovery is difficult to undertake on a lab scale, energy recovery is being undertaken at the University. UQ has energy recovery wheels which transfer the energy from the outgoing air to the incoming air. The wheels are installed in the locations listed in the table below. Location Otto Hirschfeld Building CAAS Physiology Lecture Theatre UQ Centre Mahon Building (SVS) Application Heat wheel serving the Gross Anatomy Facility. Several heat wheels serving the PC2 animal containment facilities. Heat wheels serving the lecture theatres. Heat wheels serving the main auditorium, lecture theatre and foyer. Heat wheels serving the anatomy and post-mortem facilities. For further information contact: Sustainability Office Property and Facilities Division Ext greenlabs@pf.uq.edu.au Internet: Energy Efficient Labs Page 5 Issue No. 2