One ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer can consume as much energy as a single-family home every day (25 kWh/day). Good management practices on cold storage can significantly reduce energy consumption.
- Setting the ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers to -70°C instead of -80°C can save up to 30% energy. Most samples can be safely stored at this temperature.
- Keep an updated inventory of samples
- Clean out freezers to save space and time spent looking for samples
- Routinely remove ice buildup from -80 freezers
- Defrost -20 freezers.
- Share freezer space with other labs instead of buying new ones
- Replace old, inefficient units with new energy efficient ones
Learn more about cold storage:
- International Freezer Challenge resources
- Everything You Want to Know about Ultralow Cold Storage 8-Part Series:
- Ultralow Cold Storage 101
- How do Ultralow Temperature Freezers Work?
- Smart ULT Monitoring
- How to Choose an Ultralow Freezer for the Lab
- How to Operate and Maintain an Ultralow Temperature Freezer
- Remote Monitoring to Protect Precious Samples
- Ultralow Cold Storage and the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain
- Ensuring Sustainable Operation of Lab Freezers
Incentive Program
Eversource provides an incentive when you are buying or replacing existing freezers with any Energy Star certified lab cold storage including refrigeration and freezers. The incentives are applied directly off preferred vendor’s quote for qualified products. Contact MIT preferred vendors or check with Eversource directly for more information
Freezer Challenge
The International Freezer Challenge, which is run by My Green Labs and International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), is aimed at promoting efficient, effective sample storage for laboratories around the world, and using a spirit of friendly competition to increase sample accessibility, sample integrity, reduced costs, and energy efficiency.
The Freezer Challenge occurs over a six-month period during which individual labs work at their own pace to implement optimal cold storage management practices. The competition covers all forms of cold storage—including refrigerators, freezers, and cold rooms. Labs participating in the challenge are asked to submit an online score sheet. Individual labs earn one point for each action taken per refrigeration unit. Score sheets are submitted to My Green Lab at the end of the competition. Individual laboratories and organizations are scored against their peers, and the winning labs and research institutions receive awards. All MIT labs that register to the challenge will automatically participate in the internal MIT freezer challenge.
Freezer Challenge Excel Helper File
Past MIT News Articles:
One ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer can consume as much energy as a single-family home every day (25 kWh/day). Good management practices on cold storage can significantly reduce energy consumption.
- Setting the ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers to -70°C instead of -80°C can save up to 30% energy. Most samples can be safely stored at this temperature.
- Keep an updated inventory of samples
- Clean out freezers to save space and time spent looking for samples
- Routinely remove ice buildup from -80 freezers
- Defrost -20 freezers.
- Share freezer space with other labs instead of buying new ones
- Replace old, inefficient units with new energy efficient ones
Learn more about cold storage:
- International Freezer Challenge resources
- Everything You Want to Know about Ultralow Cold Storage 8-Part Series:
- Ultralow Cold Storage 101
- How do Ultralow Temperature Freezers Work?
- Smart ULT Monitoring
- How to Choose an Ultralow Freezer for the Lab
- How to Operate and Maintain an Ultralow Temperature Freezer
- Remote Monitoring to Protect Precious Samples
- Ultralow Cold Storage and the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain
- Ensuring Sustainable Operation of Lab Freezers
Incentive Program
Eversource provides an incentive when you are buying or replacing existing freezers with any Energy Star certified lab cold storage including refrigeration and freezers. The incentives are applied directly off preferred vendor’s quote for qualified products. Contact MIT preferred vendors or check with Eversource directly for more information
Freezer Challenge
The International Freezer Challenge, which is run by My Green Labs and International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), is aimed at promoting efficient, effective sample storage for laboratories around the world, and using a spirit of friendly competition to increase sample accessibility, sample integrity, reduced costs, and energy efficiency.
The Freezer Challenge occurs over a six-month period during which individual labs work at their own pace to implement optimal cold storage management practices. The competition covers all forms of cold storage—including refrigerators, freezers, and cold rooms. Labs participating in the challenge are asked to submit an online score sheet. Individual labs earn one point for each action taken per refrigeration unit. Score sheets are submitted to My Green Lab at the end of the competition. Individual laboratories and organizations are scored against their peers, and the winning labs and research institutions receive awards. All MIT labs that register to the challenge will automatically participate in the internal MIT freezer challenge.
Freezer Challenge Excel Helper File
Past MIT News Articles: