Greening Your Lab

1. Greening Your Lab Responsible Conduct of Research Duke University October 8, 2013

2. Presenter: Randy Smith Manager, Department of Biology Convener, Green Labs at Duke

3. Green Labs at Duke is a group of faculty, staff and students dedicated to promoting sustainable practices in Duke University’s research and teaching laboratories.

4. Overview: • Define sustainability • Impacts of research labs • Mitigating the impacts through best practices • Duke Green Lab Certification • Small group discussion of individual labs • Regroup – discussion of issues • Current projects

5. What is Sustainability? “Meeting all the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

6. Impacts of Research LabsEnergy Labs are 5 times more energy intensive than other campus spaces, on average. Cost to operate a fume hood at Duke is $5000 per year. Same cost as running 3.5 houses. Cost to operate an ultralow freezer at Duke is $1200 per year.

7. Impacts of Research Labs Energy

8. Impacts of Research LabsWater Ventilation Equipment cooling Aspirators Purified water Sterilizers Dish and pipet washers

9. Impacts of Research LabsWater

10. Impacts of Research LabsChemical Waste 2011: 72,495 pounds of Hazardous Waste 2013: 87,000 pounds expected Hazardous Waste is 25% of total chemical waste

11. Impacts of Research LabsSolid Waste French Science Waste Audit 66 pounds in one day, 37% recyclable

12. Green Lab Certification

13. The Green Lab Certification Program was jointly developed by Sustainable Duke and Green Labs at Duke. We would like to recognize the work of the Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability of University of California – Davis, LabRats of the University of California - Santa Barbara, Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement of the UK and Yale University Office of Sustainability for inspiration and some of the content of this certification program.

14. Green Lab Certification Three levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold Prerequisites plus points Points as a percentage of applicable points Prerequisites only = Bronze Prerequisites plus 50% of applicable points = Silver Prerequisites plus 90% of applicable points = Gold

15. Green Lab Certification Certification Checklist Certification Checklist Guide http://sustainability.duke.edu/action/certifications/labs/index.php

16. Green Lab Certification Process • Review Guide to Certification Checklist • Complete online Certification Checklist • Certification

17. Green Lab CertificationManagement and Training • Think about your lab practices • Participate in Green Labs at Duke (at some level) • Communicate within your lab

18. Green Lab CertificationEnergy Conservation • Fume Hood – sash closed and hood certified • Cold Storage – freezers maintained, contents relevant, number of small units minimized • Equipment use maximized and turned off when not in use

19. Green Lab CertificationWater Conservation • No single pass cooling • No water powered aspirators • Minimize purified water use

20. Green Lab CertificationChemical Storage and Use • OESO lab audit • Up to date chemical inventory • Minimize chemical use/storage • Share with other labs

21. Green Lab CertificationGreen Purchasing • Energy Star • Coordinate ordering to minimize packaging • Order from “green vendors”

22. Green Lab CertificationRecycling and Waste Reduction • Recycle plastics, glass, metals, paper and cardboard • Recycle Electronics • Recycle Styrofoam • Electronic journals

23. Green Lab CertificationField Work Leave no trace – recover flagging, equipment, batteries, etc.

24. Green Lab CertificationMeeting and Conference Travel • Buy carbon offsets for travel or meetings • Skype

25. Green Lab CertificationSelf-assessment and Innovation Special circumstances in your lab All your great ideas!

26. Small Groups Discussion

27. Questions and Issues from Small Groups

28. Current Project - Growth Chamber Lighting

29. Current Project - Growth Chamber Lighting • Old - 8 400W metal halide lamps and 6 60W incandescent lamps with total 3560W. • New - The Cycloptics™ All-Bright™ luminaire consists of 4 Philips Elite Agro™ 315W ceramic metal halide lamps with total 1260W. • Light (PAR) intensity same • Conversion cost $2700

30. Current Project - Growth Chamber Lighting Electrical savings - $1012 per year HVAC savings - $1259 per year Payback 14 months

31. Current Project - Sterling Ultralow Freezer

32. Current Project - Sterling Ultralow Freezer • The Sterling freezer uses 50% of the electricity of the control freezer - savings $344 per year • The Sterling freezer has potential to reduce the cooling requirements of the building – savings $199 per year • $4500 cost premium • Payback 8.3 Years

33. Current Project - Sterling Ultralow Freezer Lifetime Cost = purchase price + maintenance and operating costs over the life of the product. No compressor repair – savings $3500 Payback could be significantly shorter.

34. Current Project - Shut the Sash

35. Current Project – Shut the Sash

36. Current Project - Shut the Sash Variable volume vs Constant volume fume hoods Variable volume - open sash $5000 year closed sash $2000 per year Constant volume – airflow bypass

37. Current Project - French Science Center Lab Ventilation Aircuity Monitoring and Control for thirty non-teaching lab rooms High intensity teaching labs will be programmed to reduce air flows during non-teaching hours Fume hood minimum air flow reduction

38. Current Project - French Science Center Lab Ventilation Energy use reduced 10% Project cost - $915,000 Annual savings - $232,000

39. Current Project – Lathe House Watering

40. Questions and Comments