04.02.2010

Sustainable Lab Operations

John Mlade and Nandita Vyas

In the United States, buildings account for 38.9% of primary energy use and 38% of CO2 emissions. Labs use far more energy and water per square foot than the average building due to increased equipment, process and ventilation demands. With this realization, increasingly more attention is being paid to strategies for reducing the energy use of newly constructed laboratories. However, there has been relatively little education for managers and users of existing laboratories about the potential energy savings of enacting thoughtful operational and maintenance procedures and behavioral change programs. This article presents best practices for laboratory operations and maintenance that are applicable in many laboratory facilities.

Read the Lab Manager article here.