Laboratories consume far more energy than typical commercial buildings yet most efficiency programs are not designed with labs in mind. That gap has left managers and sustainability teams with few options beyond costly, consultant-led audits. The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) seeks to address this challenge with its new Actionable Insights and Measures (AIM) Report, an automated energy audit tool developed under the Labs2Zero program.
“This is something that just has not existed for lab buildings before,” said Alison Farmer, director of the Labs2Zero program, in a recent AIM report webinar. “We’ve done something new for lab facilities.”
Bridging a long-standing gap
For years, the Lab Benchmarking Tool (LBT) has enabled labs to measure their performance against peers. AIM takes that foundation further, turning benchmarking data into actionable projects. By entering just a dozen or so building parameters into LBT, managers can now receive modeled savings estimates and tailored recommendations. “It was very important to us that the AIM Report be easy to use. You don’t have to be an HVAC expert to use it,” Farmer explained. The purpose is to obtain quick, quantitative results.
The tool currently includes 26 measures, from upgrading fume hood controls to optimizing freezer setpoints. For each option, AIM calculates costs and projected savings, accounts for interactive effects between systems, and links users to case studies from similar facilities. “For every one of those measures, AIM will calculate estimated savings. It will show you estimated implementation costs, and it will also take into account interactive effects between measures, which we all know are important in lab buildings where often all of your measures are affecting airflow,” said Farmer.
Making the business case
Beyond the technical modeling, AIM is positioned as a communications tool. Managers can build packages of measures and generate professional reports designed to persuade leadership. “When you’re building that business case with management for energy efficiency, you can generate a PDF report that contains all of the information that you see on these screenshots from the website, as well as some background information about how the report works,” Farmer said.
This focus on credibility and transparency was intentional. I2SL developed AIM with input from a large technical advisory council and industry partners who contributed engineering expertise. “This is not coming from one vendor in particular,” explained Farmer. “The information should be treated as highly credible in terms of the likely savings from any particular measure.”
Lowering barriers to action
Traditional onsite energy audits can be expensive, but AIM is positioned as a lower-cost alternative that delivers reports for multiple buildings at a fraction of the price. The tool is offered through a subscription model, with both monthly and annual options. A free demo version also provides access to a limited set of measures. Discounts are available to members, sponsors, and organizations purchasing multi-user plans.
To support adoption, I2SL provides hands-on training opportunities. A three-hour workshop covers both the LBT and AIM, giving participants practical experience in using the software. Attendees also receive discounted subscription rates. Training can be delivered virtually or in person, with upcoming sessions planned at I2SL’s annual conference and through regional chapters. These workshops are designed not only to build familiarity with the tool but also to facilitate its integration into everyday decision-making within labs.
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Expanding scope
I2SL is already working on the next phase of AIM’s development, which will extend access globally. “Our big project that we’re currently working on is internationalizing the tool. When that is released, which we're hoping will be close to the end of this year, [AIM will] have metric units, global weather data, global utility rate assumptions, global implementation costs, currency conversions, and our narratives will have [imperial and metric] units in them,” Farmer said.
Additional measures are also underway, including recommissioning strategies and expanded HVAC options, supported by a growing library of case studies. For lab managers tasked with reducing emissions and cutting costs, AIM offers a way to replace inertia with action. As Farmer put it, “This is our brand-new automated energy audit tool for lab buildings,”—one that could reshape how the sector tackles sustainability.
