It’s really not optional anymore. Sustainable design must be a part of the holistic approach to building a lab.

The annual energy usage in a typical U.S. life science laboratory has recently been estimated at 4.54 GJ/m2/year,1 almost three times the energy usage of a medium intensity commercial building (1.79 GJ/m2/year).

How does a research facility or biotech company with older laboratories update existing facilities to current energy conservation standards?

Most laboratory managers recognize that they can improve the energy efficiency of their labs by implementing commonsense tactics such as turning off equipment that’s not in use, installing lighting sensors that dim lights automatically, etc.

With the issue of sustainability fast becoming ubiquitous in our culture, the benefits of green design and building are prized highly by architecture, engineering and construction professionals as well as by many in the scientific community at large.

A laboratory energy retrofit process begins with an energy audit in which all aspects of a buildings energy usage are examined in order to identify opportunities for savings.

Leading research institutions share best practices to meet institutional climate commitments.

If your laboratory has its own dedicated power plant or is part of an industrial facility, you may be able to drastically reduce the amount of energy you purchase while reducing your labs carbon footprint.

While the green movement is receiving less attention now than it has in recent years, it was able to take root with regulators who have become less tolerant of practices found to harm the environment. Many lab managers believe that adjusting their processes now may be more economically efficient and less disruptive to their work than racing to meet regulatory deadlines in the future.

Dr. Michael D. Hopkins talks to Tanuja Koppal, contributing editor to Lab Manager Magazine, about his experiences and involvement in renovating the Searle Chemistry Building at the University of Chicago.