Water Conservation
Labs consume more water per square foot than regular office buildings primarily due to their increased cooling and processing needs (Water Efficiency Guide for Laboratories). Autoclaves, dishwashing, and single-pass cooling systems all contribute to the high-water usage of laboratories. Thankfully, there are many opportunities to lower water consumption in the lab. Here is a quick overview of some ways to use less water the lab. For further specifics and more information on how to conserve water in your lab, check out our Green Labs Manual (coming Fall 2020).
- Eliminate the use of single-pass cooling/process water in your lab. Single-pass cooling/process water is when water is used once to cool a piece of equipment or instrument and is then discharged directly to the sewer. This is a waste of potable water, energy, and money. Single-pass cooling/process water can also easily cause flooding, leading to safety risks, expensive repairs, and loss of valuable research time. Replace single-pass cooling/process water systems with waterless options or recirculating, closed-loop systems, such as the equipment listed below:
- Air cooled condensers
- Recirculating chillers
- An ice bath and fish pump can also work as a recirculating chiller for smaller experiments
- Consolidate glassware washer and autoclave loads so you can run the equipment less often.
- Choose your water wisely. Use the lowest grade water appropriate. Processed waters such as distilled and ultra-pure water should only be used when necessary. Higher purity waters are more energy and water intensive to generate. At UT, it takes 1.4 gallons of tap water to make 1 gallon of deionized water (DI).
- Install flow control valves on sinks and other equipment (contact your building manager for help with this).
- Report leaks or dripping faucets to Facilities Services at (512) 471-2020 as soon as they are detected.
Energy Conservation
At UT, lab buildings make up 21% of campus square footage but consume about 32% of campus energy. Providing energy for lab building produces 60,000+ metric tons of CO2/year, equivalent to burning over 5 million gallons of gasoline! Luckily, there are many ways we can help reduce energy consumption of labs on campus. Check out the tips below for some easy ways to help reduce energy consumption in your lab. For further specifics and more information on how to conserve energy in your lab, check out our Green Labs Manual (coming Fall 2020).
- Make sure to turn off the lights in the lab when no one is in the lab. Utilize natural light when possible.
- Turn off and unplug all equipment (if you are able to do so) that is not being used for extended periods of time; this prevents the waste of energy from phantom loads. Use an equipment timer to turn off equipment during non-use times.
- Keep the fume hood sash as low as possible. Do not use fume hoods as storage spaces. Ensure that ventilation shafts are regularly inspected and are not blocked.
- Defrost and clean your freezer regularly! For some tips on how to do this, check out the resources below:
- Clean the coils of your refrigerators and freezers. The accumulation of ice and dust causes the compressor to work harder and use more energy. In addition to being less efficient, the increased workload will shorten the lifespan of your freezer.
- Create a freezer inventory to reduce door-open time. A great time to do this is when you’re defrosting your freezer.