Dedicated to advancing sustainable laboratories globally.
D1 Decarbonization | Decarbonization Standards
Standardizing Sustainability: Lessons Learned from the Trenches Across Gilead Sciences
In 2022, Gilead Sciences launched their Sustainable Design and Construction Standard to guide and verify green building practices, focusing on decarbonization and promoting innovative collaboration across all projects and maintenance. At the 2023 conference, presenters discussed the process of developing the Standard. This session, as Part 2, will delve into successes, challenges, and lessons learned from implementing the Standard, which includes performance targets for energy, water, materials, waste, emissions. After three years, Gilead has gathered learnings about the roll-out process, team engagement, market insights, and the importance of knowledge sharing for achieving corporate goals. Success stories include the Standard's role in decarbonizing new constructions through all-electric designs and aiming for the International Living Future Institute's Zero Carbon certification, how collaboration is foundational to achieve the ambitious water reduction targets, and how harmful chemicals are getting eliminated from building interiors to foster a health-based approach. The presenters will share how project teams' knowledge sharing is streamlining design processes. They will discuss challenges like evolving material markets, procurement, and project-specific solutions that may not be universally applicable. They will provide future updates to the Standard to surpass minimum code requirements, reduce operational costs, and enhance lab design performance.
Lab Futures: Meeting LEED v5's Bold New Standards
It has been a decade since the last version of LEED was released, and the industry has come a long way. As has happened four times before, a new version of LEED brings both challenges and opportunities. LEED v5, released in 2025, places increasingly aggressive requirements on sustainable buildings. Life science and lab facilities, with their complex environmental controls and high energy demands, can meet the challenge, demonstrate that aggressive goals are achievable, and help drive the industry forward. With a new focus on climate resilience, projects must assess risks such as extreme heat, flooding, and energy disruptions. Decarbonization requirements, including operational carbon projections, electrification, and embodied carbon assessments, demand innovative energy strategies. From zero waste planning to new pathways for achieving net-zero operations, LEED v5 presents both new hurdles and fresh opportunities to enhance performance. Successfully aligning these new standards with the unique needs of life science buildings will require a more integrated approach between design teams, facility managers, and operational stakeholders.This session will review changes impacting labs, exploring real-world strategies for compliance and innovation. By understanding how to navigate LEED v5's new landscape, teams can position their projects for long-term sustainability while continuing to push the boundaries of high-performance lab design.
Emissions Compliance Optimization
This presentation details a comprehensive approach to decarbonizing a large-scale laboratory facility spanning 750,000 SF, investigating strategies for electrification to mitigate future compliance costs associated with carbon emissions, particularly in the context of Boston's Building Energy Reporting Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO). BERDO requires commercial buildings over 35,000 square feet and residential buildings with 35 or more units to achieve initial emissions reductions by 2025, with increasingly stringent requirements towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Buildings exceeding their limits face fines unless compliant. The decarbonization process involves an in-depth evaluation of existing mechanical and electrical infrastructure to identify feasible pathways for transitioning away from fossil fuel dependency. Key considerations include assessing spatial constraints inherent in laboratory buildings, such as limited mechanical room sizes and rooftop areas, alongside rigorous cost-benefit analyses of potential upgrades. Our team's proprietary analysis tools compare outcomes alongside the Labs2Zero Pilot Energy Score Target Setter. Outcomes highlight critical trade-offs and provide actionable insights for achieving significant reductions in carbon emissions, thereby positioning laboratory facilities for long-term regulatory compliance and environmental sustainability that improves performance and is financially advantageous.
D2 Sustainable Science | Fume Hood Education & Behavior Change
Shut the Sash: A Green Labs Effort to Reduce Lab Energy Use at Caltech
In summer 2024, Caltech held a pilot project aimed at enhancing sustainability in lab environments. This initiative focused on reducing the substantial energy consumption attributed to fume hoods, which typically account for 40 to 70 percent of a lab's energy usage. The core of the project involved the design, prototyping, and deployment of 22 fume hood height-tracking sensors across 14 different chemistry and biology labs. Utilizing a combination of SolidWorks for design, Internet of Things technology for connectivity, and 3D printing for manufacturing, sensors were developed that could alert users when fume hoods were left open and unattended. Over the course of this four-month initiative, the deployed sensors led to a reduction in energy usage with an estimated average net savings of $1,250 per fume hood annually. The project not only demonstrated substantial energy conservation but also enhanced laboratory safety. This project was used as the basis for the expansion of the Caltech Green Labs program, and can be used as an example to show how other grassroots or full-time programs can be developed from such an initiative.
Findings From a Student-Led Fume Hood Competition
Fume hoods are energy-intensive and can pose safety risks when used improperly. One of the easiest ways to reduce energy consumption and protect lab staff is to close the fume hood sash when not in use. Fume hood competitions have become popular approaches to promote the practice of closing the sash. At the University of Pennsylvania, there are over 1,200 fume hoods and one full-time green labs employee. In order to promote best practices in fume hoods to a wider audience, the green labs program collaborated with a Penn instructor to facilitate a student-led fume hoods competition. With guidance, the students installed fume hood sensors, gathered data on sash height, and researched the best approaches to influence safer and more sustainable behavior in the lab. The project utilized 20 fume hood sensors and allowed a unique opportunity for inter-departmental collaboration. By sharing data and findings, the attendees will learn about the efficacy of a student-led fume hoods project and gain insight into strategies for maximizing impact with limited resources.
The Hidden Opportunity: Identifying Fume Hood Hibernation Candidates to Reduce Lab Energy Use
Fume hoods are among the most energy-intensive components of laboratory buildings, contributing significantly to both heating and cooling demand. While "shut the sash" campaigns encourage fume hood sash closure, a larger energy-saving opportunity lies in identifying and implementing fume hood hibernation—keeping unused hoods closed off for extended periods to reduce unnecessary energy use. To explore this potential, Stanford University conducted a building-wide program that integrated a passive monitoring technology to collect real-time sash position and usage data. This approach allowed us to quantify the extent of fume hood inactivity, identify hibernation opportunities, and estimate energy-saving potential. By analyzing sash usage patterns, we established data-driven criteria for determining when a fume hood could be taken out of service without disrupting research. This initiative demonstrated that data collection is essential to unlocking additional energy-saving strategies. It offered institutions a replicable model for optimizing fume hood management through proper sash-closing behavior and fume hood hibernation. The findings highlight how automated sash monitoring provides actionable insights, moving beyond behavior-based interventions to strategic ventilation load reduction.
D3 Sustainable Design | Resilient and Low Carbon Design
Empowering Design for Research Environments: Strategies for Climate Resilience
Designing laboratory systems extends beyond ensuring safety, providing suitable research environments, and achieving low-carbon performance. It encompasses the foresight to anticipate future changes in laboratory usage, the agility to adapt to these changes, and strategies to mitigate potential operational threats. This presentation will delve into the aspects of laboratory adaptability essential for a climate-changing future. Designers must anticipate a spectrum of potential system capacity requirements and devise methods to accommodate them. Establishing robust pathways for initial and future services helps address threats to HVAC performance. Laboratories must manage climate hazards that pose external threats to operations. Mission-critical laboratories, or those aspiring to high resilience design, must fulfill the operational imperatives dictated by their programs. The integration of renewable energy systems, local energy storage solutions, and microgrid technologies can significantly contribute to meeting these goals. This presentation also examines potential obstacles to achieving resilient design, including financial constraints, policy changes, and legislative (code) considerations. Ultimately, the goal is to create laboratory environments that are not only safe and efficient but also adaptable in the face of future uncertainties. By anticipating changes and threats, and implementing innovative energy solutions, designers can create climate-resilient laboratories.
Engineering for Extremes: Powering a Science Station in Greenland with Renewable Energy
The National Science Foundation had a need for a modernized arctic science station for continuing research possible only in high-altitude, low-temperature areas vast distances from population centers. This facility requires significant custom and semi-custom features to ensure successful operation with resiliency being the primary requirement, but net-zero operation of the power and heating systems being additional requirements. This presentation explores the challenges the design team faced designing innovative power automation relaying ensuring operational resiliency during grid outages or equipment maintenance. At completion the plant will generate a significant percentage of its power and heating requirements itself, reducing carbon footprint.
Designing for Tomorrow: Seattle University's Holistic Vision at the Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation
The Jim and Janet Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation at Seattle University establishes a benchmark for interdisciplinary collaboration, sustainability, and community integration. The 110,000 SF teaching laboratory integrates biology, chemistry, math, engineering, and computer science departments. Conceived as a dynamic, student-centric hub, it fosters experiential learning, innovation, and engagement across disciplines and industry partnerships. Sustainable strategies include a high-performance building envelope, fossil-fuel-free mechanical systems, rooftop photovoltaics, resilient stormwater management, and indoor water use reduction by 32 percent. Double-piped VRF systems with future refrigerant adaptability, heat recovery from ventilation, and a high-efficiency HVAC system ensure air quality and energy performance. Daylighting through skylights and expansive glazing minimizes artificial lighting use, improving occupant comfort and reducing energy demands. Regionally sourced and recycled-content materials lower embodied carbon, while native gardens and pollinator pathways support local biodiversity. Flexible spaces, publicly accessible amenities, and culturally diverse art installations by local and BIPOC artists strengthen campus-community connections. The facility is powered by Seattle City Light which deliver carbon-neutral electricity. The Sinegal Center reflecting Seattle University's dedication to environmental stewardship, equity, and student well-being.
D4 System Optimization | AI and Next Generation Labs
Integrating AI-Driven Labs Into Campus Infrastructure: A Holistic Approach
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming nearly every aspect of our lives, from the workplace and economy to healthcare and education. In laboratory environments, AI applications are expanding rapidly, driving advancements in personalized learning, simulations, predictive modeling, and data processing—often alongside increased robotics integration. However, this surge in AI-driven research demands significant processing power, leading many institutions to develop high-density data centers with complex cooling requirements. This presentation explores a holistic approach to integrating these facilities into campus environments using 5th-generation district systems. Speakers will examine strategies for enhancing resiliency, flexibility, and efficiency while seamlessly supporting the growing computational needs of AI-powered laboratories.
SMART Facility Transformation: Driving Efficiency, Safety, and Sustainability
The transition from traditional research lab operations to an advanced SMART facility highlights the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) and their far-reaching impact. Moving from reactive to proactive lab management, AI and ML optimize operations by improving quality and safety, reducing unplanned outages, and enhancing mission-critical reliability. However, challenges such as knowledge loss, workforce shortages, and siloed systems create barriers to efficiency. By leveraging IoT, digital twins, and a unified technology framework, a high-performing team can seamlessly integrate AI-driven solutions to drive real-time decision-making and predictive maintenance. This SMART transformation involves strategic road mapping, fostering an asset management culture, and establishing an interoperable data framework. Key benefits of AI and ML integration include enhanced decision-making, operational efficiency, resource optimization, safety and compliance, knowledge retention, and customized, scalable solutions. This session will explore how AI and ML are revolutionizing laboratory operations, ensuring sustainability, efficiency, and adaptability in the evolving research landscape.
Next Generation Lab Environments: Flexible, Adaptable, Energy-Efficient
Laboratories for the next generation of research and engineering will demand a fully integrated and highly versatile lab environment and infrastructure. These forward-looking platforms for innovation and discovery need to be planned to accommodate an ever-increasing variety of converging, constantly evolving, and at times incompatible activities. While an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to research continues to drive the laboratory's need for flexibility and adaptability, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and IoT are driving needs for a more robust building infrastructure. At the crossroads of these multidisciplinary and converging research activities are emerging technologies and novel processes created to support an unpredictable scientific mission. These new procedures, technologies and tools with widely differing space and infrastructure requirements are placing increased pressure on next generation laboratories to be more adaptable than ever before. Attendees will: learn the forces driving need for advanced adaptability, flexibility and modularity in research labs; review examples of the innovative lab systems, operating strategies, emerging technologies and modular infrastructure developed for this challenge; and evaluate results of a fully operational pilot test comparing conventional lab configurations to a next generation lab, including levels of versatility and performance of energy cost, comfort and contaminant clearing parameters.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
