Labs21 Laboratory Equipment Efficiency Initiative
Laboratory equipment energy use constitutes from 10 to as much
as 50 percent of the total energy use in a laboratory (not including associated
cooling energy use). However, there has been little attention paid
to this as an area for efficiency improvements, partly because of
the real and perceived lack of energy efficient choices in laboratory equipment
and insufficient data on energy use characteristics of lab equipment.
The goal of this initiative is to develop a clearer understanding
of laboratory equipment energy use and efficiency opportunities and to
explore potential avenues to encourage market transformation through
purchasing specifications that include efficiency criteria. The
University of California (UC) Office of the President has volunteered
to chair this initiative.
Activities
Objectives
The short term objectives are to:
- Encourage equipment manufacturers to provide energy efficiency
data for their equipment and highlight energy efficiency features
of their equipment. UC has contacted several manufacturers, encouraging
them to develop efficiency ratings for laboratory equipment. Review
a sample letter (
1 pp., 45 KB, about
PDF).
- Develop a representative inventory of laboratory equipment and its
operational characteristics. This information will be used to
prioritize the equipment inventory by areas of greatest impact.
Review a sample survey
form (
2 p., 66 KB, about
PDF). Please contact Paul
Mathew for a writeable version of the survey form.
The long term objectives are to:
- Work with equipment manufacturers, university personnel, lab
designers, and other experts to determine the efficiency opportunities
for equipment. In particular, identify the extent to which
there are functionally equivalent alternatives for each type of
equipment and whether energy efficiency is a selection criterion.
- Determine efficiency metrics and identify testing protocols,
taking into account peak demand and total energy use.
- Assess alternative approaches to purchasing specifications,
including labeling (e.g., ENERGY STAR).
To participate in this initiative or for more information, please
contact:
Paul A. Mathew
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Phone: (510) 486-5116
E-mail: pamathew@lbl.gov or labs21@erg.com
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