Dedicated to advancing sustainable laboratories globally.
H1 System Optimization | Improving Lab Energy Performance
The Road to Zero Emissions: How Retro-Commissioning Cut Lab Energy Cost 29 Percent, Launched a Campus Rollout, and Raised the Labs2Zero Energy Score From 2 to 68
A large research organization is committed to zero emissions, with an upcoming 2029 emissions reduction milestone of 75 percent. One building on campus scored a 2 on the I2SL Lab Benchmarking Tool, highlighting the gap they needed to close. Labs were ventilated for worst-case scenarios that did not reflect actual risk conditions, driving significant waste. Deep retro-commissioning became the foundation to improve performance, supported by a lab ventilation risk assessment (LVRA). During implementation, 79 percent of the assessed labs achieved airflow reductions. Beyond ventilation, retro-commissioning targeted zone calibration, after-hours setbacks, airflow balancing, and control optimization. Combined, these cut energy use 29 percent and raised the benchmarking score to 68. This session brings three perspectives on how retro-commissioning, ventilation optimization, and performance monitoring prepare buildings for zero emissions. The owner explains the decision framework for an organization-wide energy program and how stakeholder buy-in was achieved. The retro-commissioning engineer details the project scope, including airflow optimization, rogue zone corrections, control tuning, and fault detection to sustain performance. The LVRA lead covers the methodology for defining efficient operating requirements based on actual conditions rather than worst-case assumptions. The session closes with the decision to expand the program across the campus to lay the groundwork for zero emissions.
Smartening Up a Large Lab Building: Lots of Teachable Moments
In 2022, Stanford University jumped at the chance to participate in Pacific Gas and Electric's (PG&E's) Smart Labs Incentive Program. The program provides funding for implementing energy-saving solutions in lab buildings, employing many of the best practices taught at I2SL. Stanford's energy management team chose a biochemistry lab building that is relatively new (with Labs2Zero Energy Score of 66) to participate in the program. The scoping study and engineering review performed by PG&E's Smart Labs team indicated the potential for significant energy savings, which propelled Stanford into action. PG&E's team is also in the process of preparing a Building Airflow Management Plan (BAMP) for ongoing operation of the building's ventilation systems. This presentation will focus on some of the challenges encountered and the lessons learned during project implementation. Examples include finding the right balance between correcting controls deficiencies (including those that surfaced during implementation) and making changes to the original design based on current needs. The presentation emphasizes the value of an independent engineering review of project progress using data analytics and outlines the alignment between the BAMP and Stanford's work developing an integrated data layer for improving access to static and dynamic data for lab designers, operators, and researchers.
When Does it Make Sense to Use Rapid Audits for Labs?
The availability of I2SL's AIM Report software opens the door for rapid, remote energy audits for lab facilities. But do these results guide us in the right direction, and when is the right time to use AIM versus a traditional on-site approach to finding cost-saving opportunities? This presentation will use real-world examples from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's portfolio of lab buildings to investigate the applicability of automated audit tools. The test cases will include “classic” energy efficiency measures for laboratories, as well as some of the new recommissioning measures that are being added to the software in 2026. The presentation will also include an assessment of the level of accuracy available at different levels of data entry, in order to optimize the return on investment of time spent entering information into the software tool. It will then discuss the staff roles best suited to using the software and will provide lessons learned and recommendations for its use, such as identifying opportunities in existing laboratory buildings and informing decision-making around pursuing energy-saving projects. I2SL will also share information about how the AIM tool has been used in the year following its initial launch, along with plans for its future adoption.
H2 Sustainable Design | Vivarium Design and Ventilation
Vivarium Ventilation Management and Planning
Animal research facilities are more energy-intensive than most research laboratories, and the ability to use variable air volume systems is limited, as spaces are consistently occupied by living research subjects. With animal welfare, biosecurity, and personnel safety often topping the list of priorities, energy savings from heat recovery strategies often become an afterthought. The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals is a performance standard with ventilation range recommendations that may not be directly corollary to the animal housing design. As the design team better understands the housing, population density, and the anticipated work that occurs within the vivarium, energy-efficient strategies can be with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to customize the space needs.
How Low Can You Go? Reducing Air Change Rates in Animal Holding Facilities
Animal holding areas are among the most complex spaces in research facilities. Animal welfare is paramount in research facilities, yet decarbonization goals, rising energy costs, and high-performance targets are driving reductions in laboratory energy use. With ventilated cage racks (VCRs) delivering air directly at the cage level, traditional assumptions about minimum room air change rates (ACH) deserve re-evaluation. How low can room ACH go while maintaining environmental quality? This presentation outlines a performance-based framework for evaluating ACH reductions in animal holding spaces. Topics include airflow distribution, thermal loads, humidity control, ammonia management, and contaminant removal effectiveness. Case studies demonstrate how computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to assess ventilation effectiveness, diffuser placement, and environmental stability at reduced ACH. Measured outcomes, lessons learned, and the value and limitations of CFD as a decision-support tool will be discussed.
Vivarium Design Challenges: Decarbonizing Vivaria Without Compromising Safe and Healthy Conditions
Vivaria and wet labs are among the most energy-intensive building types, often consuming five to 10 times more energy than office buildings. High ventilation rates, tight thermal control, and significant equipment loads drive both operational cost and carbon emissions. Reducing energy use in these environments—while maintaining animal health and research integrity—requires careful, performance-based design. Building on ventilation strategies discussed in this session, this presentation examines the energy and carbon implications of safely reducing room air change rates, improving airflow effectiveness, and leveraging technologies such as ventilated cage rack (VCR) systems. The session will also address enclosure design strategies that reduce operational carbon while maintaining humidity control and thermal stability. Poor enclosure performance can lead to corrosion, condensation, delamination, and microbial growth—undermining both durability and indoor environmental quality. Energy modeling case studies will quantify the impact of these measures compared to common practice and national benchmarks, including the Labs2Zero Lab Benchmarking Tool (LBT).
H3 Decarbonization | Embodied Carbon Best Practices
I2SL Best Practices Guide: Embodied Carbon
Presenters will provide an overview and specific examples of the practices included in the Interntional Institute for Sustainable Laboratories Best Practices Guide on Embodied Carbon in Laboratories.
It Takes a Village: Achieving Low Embodied Carbon
Embodied carbon reduction begins with using fewer materials, making earlier decisions, and aligning structural and architectural intent from the outset. These strategies respond directly to today's pressures: volatile material costs, compressed schedules, complex building types, and increasing scrutiny from regulators, investors, and tenants. Research and laboratory facilities are among the most material-intensive building types, making embodied carbon reduction both challenging and essential. Structural systems, concrete volumes, vibration criteria, and intensive mechanical demands can significantly increase upfront carbon impacts. Meaningful reductions require early goal setting and close collaboration among architects, structural engineers, contractors, and suppliers. This presentation brings together leaders in life science facilities from Arrowstreet Architecture & Design, Turner Construction Company, and McNamara Salvia Structural Engineers to share practical strategies for lowering embodied carbon in high-performance laboratory projects. Through award-winning case studies and replicable examples, panelists will explore optimized structural design, performance-based concrete specifications, whole-building life cycle assessment integration, contractor engagement, and procurement strategies. Attendees will gain actionable tools to align teams around measurable carbon targets and implement low-carbon solutions without compromising safety, performance, or durability.
H4 Sustainable Science | Consolidation, Community-Building, and Cost Savings
Optimize Research Activity Tracking for F&A Cost Recovery and Sustainable Laboratory Operations
Universities face increasing pressure to accurately track research activities for compliance, financial accountability, and sustainability goals. Some states and federal entities require institutions to report research grant allocations and space utilization to ensure transparency and optimize Facilities and Administrative (F&A) or Indirect Cost Recovery. Through peer examples, we will show how facilities are addressing these challenges via a comprehensive platform that integrates research activities with space and energy management analytics.
Finding Energy Reductions From Space Consolidation
Consolidating office and laboratory buildings on a central campus is becoming more frequent. And it is more than a spatial planning decision; it is a long-term energy infrastructure strategy that reshapes load profiles, distribution efficiency, resilience planning, maintenance strategies, and operational carbon outcomes for the life of the building configurations. This session examines how master planning must align energy backbone development with phased building sequencing to avoid temporary systems, redundant distribution networks, and unnecessary energy and maintenance cost penalties. When infrastructure and building delivery are misaligned, campuses face increased operational costs, reduced efficiency, and elevated risk during corrective phases. Attendees will gain insight into how early planning decisions directly influence health, safety, welfare, environmental performance, energy conservation, maintainability, and the operational continuity of high-performance laboratory and research environments.
The Power of Neighbors: Using Community Ties to Decarbonize Labs
Research labs are energy hogs. They typically use 10 times the power of a standard office. Usually, the fix involves massive infrastructure projects that small labs can't afford. But at LabReNew, we found that the best tool for cutting carbon isn't a new HVAC system—it's a connection. We'll show how linking researchers with local utilities, green chemistry vendors, and recycling partners creates a network that gets results. We've worked with over 75 communities and 2,000 people to prove this works. By focusing on simple changes—like "Chill Up" freezer settings and smarter waste sorting—we helped labs cut their energy bills by 25 percent and keep 100,000 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere. This session isn't about expensive retrofits. It's about how free guidance and shared resources can lower overhead by 12 percent without breaking the bank. We'll look at examples from the Greater Boston area where neighbors helping neighbors turned small, individual actions into huge wins for the region.
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