How Laboratories can Reduce their Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The writing is on the wall: climate change poses a colossal threat to our planet, and we must face it head-on. One integral way we can combat it is by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While laboratories are on the front lines of pioneering research and scientific advancements, they also produce high emissions due to their intense cold storage and electricity usage.
In this blog post, we will discuss some of the major ways that labs can reduce their emissions while saving money and future-proofing themselves for sustainability.
Focus on carbon insets, not offsets
If you’ve ever seen a company describe itself as “carbon neutral,” consider how it was achieved. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the business is cutting back on its own emissions of greenhouse gases. Rather, carbon-neutral companies are usually finding ways to offset their air pollution. This could take the form of supporting foresting initiatives to plant trees or purchasing carbon credits from a solar panel company. These efforts are also often tax-subsidized. While carbon offsets do help against climate change and are better than doing nothing, they do not directly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases generated by the company.
There is a smarter way for labs to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon insets, which are efforts that an organization makes to reduce its own amount of greenhouse gas emissions, are the ideal strategy with a broad range of benefits. Reduce air pollution, conserve natural resources, and protect biodiversity? Check, check, and check. And should stricter governmental regulations arise in the future, labs engaging in carbon insets now are already prepared for it—no scrambling for compliance needed. Not only that, but these smart emissions reducers can also actually save money while enhancing community relationships and public perceptions.
Monitor electricity use
On average, laboratories use three to six times the amount of energy per surface area than normal office buildings use. The electric energy used to power these labs can contribute greatly to greenhouse gas emissions, especially since 61% of electricity in the United States is generated using fossil fuels. This makes electricity use a prime target for labs to scrutinize as a way to cut down on their greenhouse gas contributions.
Here are some key ways labs can reduce electricity usage:
Clean dust buildup on condenser coils and frost buildup in freezers to maintain efficiency
Close fume hood sashes when they are not in use
Raise freezer set points as high as possible without damaging samples or reagents
Keep cold storage machines far away from doors and high-traffic areas
Make sure freezer doors are shut completely and that the seals are in good condition
Use Energy Star-certified or otherwise high-efficiency equipment
Keep sensors in ovens and in cold storage well-maintained and properly calibrated
Optimize HVAC ventilation rates
Use building energy sensing and control software, plug timers, or simple, clear signs to promote lab equipment power-downs.
Provide training for all lab members on energy-saving practices so everyone can do their part
These practices can help drive decarbonization, and as a bonus, reduce utility bills for your organization, too.
Think outside the lab
A lab group may think they're doing their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by being mindful of the ones coming from laboratory work, but they could be missing an entire source that affects the environment just as drastically: occupation-related sources.
For example, staff scientists and students driving to work contribute to air pollution. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), an American collaborative research facility dedicated to solving energy problems, has made a goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030. The organization measured its air pollution contributions and found that significant business-related activities that happened outside of the buildings contributed a significant amount of MTCO2e (metric tons of CO2 equivalent). Employees commuting contributed 2,155 MTCO2e in 2021. In the same year, job-related ground travel caused 73 MTCO2e and business-related air travel caused 59 MTCO2e.
These greenhouse gas emissions can be mitigated by limiting work-related travel. In some cases, a complete shift away from traditional work models and travel is possible -- with remote work growing ever more popular as technology rapidly develops, scientists can increasingly make use of virtual meetings instead of traveling. If this isn’t an option, research institutions and life science companies can also provide incentives such as public transportation reimbursements or install more bike racks on-site to encourage more environmentally friendly commuting.
Another example from the pharmaceutical industry is performing governmental or regulatory audits virtually. While there may be situations where the audit has to be done in person, conducting them remotely is an increasingly popular option. Unsurprisingly, with advanced technology and camera systems at our fingertips, remote audits are becoming more and more commonplace.
Get creative with heating and cooling
In May 2022, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) announced that it would be participating in the United States federal government’s Net Zero Labs Pilot Initiative. As part of the plan, PNNL had some resourceful ideas on how to heat its campus. One goal is to capture waste heat from the lab’s supercomputers and use it to heat other buildings at its facility. Not only would this help cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, but it would slash PNNL’s heating bill as well.
Other creative heating and cooling solutions can help labs be more conscious of their greenhouse gas emissions. Labs for the 21st Century, a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has a set of guidelines that include suggestions for “daylighting.” Daylighting refers to the controlled amount of natural light that enters a building. Since sunshine provides both light and heat, the practice of daylighting can cut down on heating and lighting bills. Similarly, for buildings in hotter climates, window shading systems can keep buildings from overheating and needing more air conditioning. Even details such as interior paint color, window size, ceiling height, and glass spectral selectivity can play a role in heating or cooling a building without electricity and without contributing more greenhouse gases. It’s rewarding when you view solar energy as more than just a source of electric power.
Reducing carbon footprints
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a critical step in helping to mitigate climate change, and laboratories have an important role to play. By instituting measures to cut back on emissions, labs can make crucial contributions to organization-wide sustainability goals while also reducing the costs of doing science.
To learn about other ways to reduce your carbon footprint, check out these strategies for your laboratory.