Issue 12 – March/April 2010

In This Issue:

• Greetings
• Labs21 Conference Updates
  • Registration Now Open!
  • Technology and Services Fair Corner
• Training Tidbits
• Around the Industry
• I²SL's Spotlight On...
• I²SL's E-Library
• Ask Your Lab Question
• News You Can Use
  • Student Design Competition Project to be Featured at Labs21 2010 Annual Conference
• Upcoming Industry Events
• Coming Next Issue...

Greetings!

The Labs21 2010 Annual Conference Call for Presentations has come to a close, and I²SL is delighted to report that it received a record number of abstract submissions. This bodes well for the 2010 conference and gives us quite a bit to work with as we prepare a dynamic agenda for you. This year's presentations will cover a variety of topics from around the world and will share new sustainability ideas and exhibit greater levels of commitment to the Labs21 goals.

In addition, I²SL, along with EPA and DOE, has also been working with many of you in the Labs21 Community to develop conference symposia. These symposia will highlight initiatives centered on energy sub-metering, carbon neutral Research and Development campuses, sustainable data centers, and building information modeling (BIM) as a facility management tool.

I am also very excited for the new opportunities we are giving our Technology and Services Fair exhibitors this year, including the Technology Demonstrations we are coordinating with the Scientific Equipment Furniture Association (SEFA)and sessions dedicated to highlighting some of our vendors' sustainable laboratory equipment. With all of this activity, we are sure you will want to be one of the first to register for the Labs21 2010 Annual Conference.

Sincerely,

Phil Wirdzek
President and Executive Director
I²SL

Labs21 Conference Updates

Join us for the Labs21 2010 Annual Conference, taking place September 28 to 30 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Registration Now Open!

Labs21 2010 Annual Conference registration is now open! Join hundreds of industry-leading architects, engineers, operators, owners, and managers of high-performance facilities discussing their unique knowledge and experience. Register today to reserve your spot at this premier industry event. Save $100 off the regular conference fee by registering before July 25^th.

The full conference agenda, featuring six parallel tracks of technical session and symposia will be posted in the coming weeks to the I²SL website. In addition, I²SL is hosting several pre-conference workshops and offering two evening tour opportunities. Tours will be of the New Mexico Scientific Laboratories Facility and the Sandia National Laboratories Microsystems and Engineering Sciences Applications (MESA) Complex. Both facilities feature cutting-edge technologies, and tour attendees will get an insider's look not found anywhere else. Be sure to sign up for the workshops and tours when you register for the Labs21 2010 Annual Conference.

I²SL would like to give special thanks to the following Labs21 2010 Annual Conference Sponsors:

Join these outstanding organizations,
sponsor of this one-of-a-kind event.

Want to See More of Albuquerque Than Just the Convention Center?

Albuquerque is one of the nation's most beautiful cities, and I²SL is making it easy to wrap up your conference experience with a relaxing weekend. Wind down by signing up for an all-inclusive (i.e., transportation, tour guide, and food when designated) post-conference sightseeing tour with Destination Southwest, and explore some of Albuquerque's most famous attractions.

Tour options include taking a ride on the world's longest free-span cable tramway; exploring the Acoma “Sky City” Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the United States; taking part in the 2010 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta^®, the world's premier balloon festival; or taking a balloon ride of your own over the majestic New Mexico desert.

Visit I²SL's website to learn more about these fantastic excursions.

Final Call for Go Beyond Awards Nominations

Tomorrow is your last day to submit a Go Beyond Awards nomination. This awards program honors individuals, organizations, projects, and manufacturers that “go beyond” the status quo to minimize the environmental impacts of laboratories and other high-technology facilities (including, but not limited to, cleanrooms, health care facilities, data centers, and vivaria).

Award winners will show their commitment to the goals of Labs21, and to the idea that excellence in sustainability means going beyond the laboratory, beyond the United States, and beyond being “green” when considering building projects, products, and services. Learn more and submit your nomination for an individual, organization, or team award today! If you have any questions about the Go Beyond Awards or your potential nomination submission, please contact I²SL.

Technology and Services Fair Corner

Booth Registration Discount: Now or Never!

Thank you to those who have signed up to exhibit so far! For those of you who are still contemplating registration, Friday, May 28 is the last day to register for a booth at the discounted registration rate. Booth fees will increase by $500 per booth after this date. Register today and take advantage of the early bird discount - more than a 10 percent savings!

Technology Demonstrations: Put Your Product Center Stage

Are you looking for a way to significantly increase your product's exposure at this year's Technology and Services Fair? New for 2010, exhibitors can participate in a Technology Demonstration - an educational presentation that features an exhibitor's equipment. These demonstrations will take place in a dedicated presentation area in the exhibit hall and will give attendees the chance to see for themselves how various industry tests and procedures are performed on actual equipment. The demonstrations will also give vendors the opportunity to showcase their sustainable technologies by featuring their products in action. The Technology Demonstrations will occur midday on Tuesday and Wednesday in the exhibit hall. (Note: Demonstration occurrence, location, and schedule are subject to change at I²SL's discretion.)

Want more information?

Technology Demonstrations Fact Sheet (501 KB, 2 pp)
Proposed Technology Demonstrations Floor Plan (596 KB, 1 pp)
Contact I²SL with questions or to sign up.

Training Tidbits

2010 Course Schedule

Attention California residents! Be sure to sign up for our next training opportunity:

• Labs21 Advanced Course: Laboratory Ventilation and Design
  May 7, 2010
  San Francisco, California
  Hosted by: Pacific Gas and Electric
  Register online today!

Check out I²SL's Workshop Web page for an up-to-date schedule.

Around the Industry

I²SL's Own Phil Wirdzek to Give Keynote Address at RPIC Conference in Alberta

I²SL's Spotlight On...

Jay Jeffries accepts the Go Beyond Award

2009 Go Beyond Awards Renovation or Adaptive Reuse Project Winner: U.S. Food and Drug Administration Muirkirk Road Complex

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Muirkirk Road Complex in Laurel, Maryland, is the winner of the 2009 Go Beyond Award for Renovation or Adaptive Reuse Project. The agency turned to Labs21 to assist it in preparing an independent government estimate for the energy conservation measures (ECMs) proposed by Washington Gas in the facility's Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC) Water and Energy Investment Grade Audit. As a result of the audit, 25 ECMs were incorporated into its facilities, which saved the agency more than one million dollars in the first year alone. Get the details on FDA's award winning project.

I²SL's E-Library

Curious about R&D Magazine's 2010 Laboratory of the Year? Read all about the innovative Plant Conservation Science Center at the Chicago Botanic Garden (2.7 MB, 33 pp) and its focus on education, transparency, and sustainability in the latest addition to I²SL's E-Library.

Ask Your Lab Question

This month's question:

Each month I²SL invites you to send in your questions geared toward increasing sustainability in your laboratory or high-performance facility. This month, a Labs21 Supporter, Greener Chemistry LLC, submitted three questions for the Sustainable Laboratory Times:

The company asks:

• Has anyone developed a laboratory audit checklist for energy efficiency?
  
• Has anyone completed a cost analysis and comparison of disposable plastic in place of washing glass laboratory supplies, such as pipettes?
  
• How can the features and benefits of the Labs21 program be adapted to small laboratories without the resources and expertise to undertake a meaningful energy-efficiency project?

Have an answer? Submit it to I²SL.
Answers are posted on I²SL's website.*

*When submitting your answer, please note if you would prefer that we omit your name and affiliation.

News You Can Use

Student Design Competition Project to be Featured at Labs21 2010 Annual Conference

I²SL is moving ahead with plans to host the International Sustainable Laboratory Student Design Competition. Our first major financial sponsor is the U.S. Department of Interior. I²SL is working with the project partners to make presentations on the project that will be the focus of the competition at the Labs21 2010 Annual Conference.

As part of the competition, students will be challenged to design to the specifications of the proposed Salt River Bay Marine Research and Education Center (MREC) on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This real-life building project will consist of a marine laboratory, education center, and museum collections complex. Architecture and engineering students from around the world will get the opportunity to suggest new and innovative thinking on how to create the project in the most energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable fashion. Depending on the timing of the MREC project, all or parts of the winning competition design may actually be incorporated into the MREC final design plans.

Discover what the MREC project and the International Sustainable Laboratory Student Design Competition are all about on I²SL's website. For an even closer look at the MREC project, watch their presentation at the Labs21 2010 Annual Conference. Register today to attend the event.

Upcoming Industry Events

Think Green 3 Conference
May 18–19, 2010
Amman, Jordan

Greenbuild Middle East and World Expo
May 24–26, 2010
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Laboratory: Best Practice and Future Trends
June 10, 2010
Nottingham, United Kingdom

Sustainable Laboratory Chemistry - New Challenges and Effective Responses
June 14, 2010
York, United Kingdom

New and Refurbished Laboratories at the University of Newcastle
June 21, 2010
Newcastle, United Kingdom

2010 Real Property Institute of Canada (RPIC) Regional Workshop
June 22–23, 2010
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Second International Conference on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Development
July 12–14, 2010
Amman, Jordan

EGNATON - 1. Annual Conference
October 26 - 28, 2010
Darmstadt, Germany

Coming Next Issue...

• Conference workshop update
• I²SL's Spotlight On… Aircuity, Inc., 2009 Go Beyond Award Winner for Equipment Manufacture