Dedicated to advancing sustainable laboratories globally.
I1 Decarbonization | Decarbonization Evolution
Evolution of an Electrified Lab
The approach to lab design has changed with electrification, and the electrification approach has rapidly evolved over the last 10+ years. This session will walk through project case studies to show the progression starting with the first zero net energy lab in a cold climate zone, covering one of the first lab buildings utilizing exhaust source heat pumps in the United States, transitioning to full building electrification using heat pumps, and the future of lab design, exporting energy from the lab to provide heat to other buildings on a campus. Join this session to see how lab buildings can go from the worst energy offender to net positive heat.
Controlled Environmental Room (CER) Refrigerants: A Case Study
Controlled environmental rooms are energy-intensive, and generally operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Operationally, they can be major contributors to energy use. Their refrigerants are drivers for ozone depletion and can contribute to global warming. By nature, pharmaceutical manufacturing plants are energy-, water-, and resource-intensive facilities. The cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) requirements to provide sterile medications lead to much of this input intensity. This presentation explains a major global cGMP company's goals to implement design and operational policies which use zero-GWP and -ODP refrigerants for their controlled environmental rooms. The case study will follow along the entire, iterative process of researching, specifying, designing, bidding, negotiating, and then building a set of 14 controlled environmental rooms in a large sterile manufacturing facility. The project is fast-track, and integrated project delivery. The study will show the work required, through roadblocks and obstacles, to hold onto the owner's sustainability goals through the tough marketplace for "greener" refrigerants. Key events that led to the project success will be explored, with what were the major obstacles and positive influences. Major players in the effort were architects, engineers, CER vendors and bidders, the general contractor, and of course the owner's representatives.
PNNL Grid Storage Launchpad: Designing for the Next Generation of Battery Technologies
Achieving a truly decarbonized power grid requires an increasing percentage of power generation from renewable sources (solar, wind, etc). However, due to the non-deployable nature of these technologies, novel, grid-scale battery storage technologies will become an increasingly necessary component to act as a buffer between periods of peak generation and peak consumption. This will in turn require design and construction of facilities to develop and test these new technologies at scale. This presentation discusses the architectural, structural, and building services considerations necessary to design and construct a battery testing facility for grid-scale technologies using the Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL) project at Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL) as a test case for a modern, battery testing facility.
I2 Sustainable Science | Green Labs: The Next Frontier
Connect, Inspire, and Invent: An Inaugural Sustainable Lab Summit
The inaugural University of Michigan Sustainable Lab Summit, held in February 2025, served as an all day engagement event focused on sustainability in research. With presentations covering topics such as scope three emissions, reducing single use plastics, the intersection of sustainability and safety, and ULT freezer best practices, the summit offered exposure to all aspects of green labs. The summit included a tabling session where vendors and groups across campus could showcase their green initiatives, an awards ceremony to recognize sustainability champions, a zero waste breakfast and lunch, and a lab swap event to rehome lab supplies efficiently. While the event covered key issues in laboratory sustainability, the educational portion aimed to bridge bigger topics such as climate anxiety and the effects of climate change on health to give researchers tools to make change beyond their campus life. The summit was a resounding success: with eight sponsoring units, it engaged over 130 attendees, diverted more than 450 pounds of lab equipment from the landfill through the swap event, and gave away over $1,000 in sustainability grant funding and giveaway items. This presentation will cover the planning to bring the event to life, the day of operations, and the momentum that followed.
Development and Implementation of a Green Laboratory Certification Program at the University of Florida
Sustainability refers to the ability to maintain or support a process continuously over time. The University of Florida (UF) EH&S Department has recently developed a Green Laboratory Certification (GLC) program to encourage, promote and recognize sustainable behaviors in research labs across campus. The GLC implementation involved the development of various components of the program, including a website and educational materials for sharing sustainability guidance and program information. Furthermore, a rubric was established for objectively rating laboratories that have made meaningful commitments to sustainability. Laboratories achieving acclaimed ratings receive a posted ranking on the lab notice board, along with other means of recognition. As a result, the GLC initiative has fostered engagement with other academic institutions wanting to launch their own programs. This presentation will provide an overview of the development and implementation of a GLC program for labs to reinforce conscientious behaviors, promote the acquisition energy-efficient laboratory equipment, and encourage green laboratory design. This presentation also aims to illuminate the multifaceted advantages of energy-efficient ultra-low-temperature freezers, with a special focus on the pivotal role played by all relevant parties (academic, industry, and nonprofit resources) in fostering environmental consciousness within the scientific community.
​A Tale of a Ship, its Crew, and a Voyage: The Freezer Challenge, its Steering Committee, and New Horizons
The International Laboratory Freezer Challenge has run every year from 2017 to 2025, engaging thousands of scientists to be more sustainable and energy-efficient with their laboratory cold storage. The competition is a joint venture between the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories and My Green Lab. The cold storage best practices promoted through the Freezer Challenge have evolved in minor ways over the years based on sponsor and community feedback, but it is long overdue for an in-depth review to ensure it remains relevant and cutting-edge. In 2025, for the first time in nine years, a steering committee for the Freezer Challenge Program was convened with two essential imperatives: a) to review the best practices in the Freezer Challenge and identify gaps that this program does not adequately address such as refrigerant management, cold rooms, and robotic systems; and b) to review the scoring methodology of the Freezer Challenge and revise if needed. The steering committee was comprised of both stakeholders with deep experience with the Freezer Challenge program and technical experts in various aspects of cold storage usage in laboratories. The purpose of this presentation is to update the I2SL community on the decisions of the steering committee and how the 2026 Freezer Challenge will be improved and impacted. In addition, My Green Lab and I2SL hope to gather feedback from key stakeholders that attend the I2SL Conference.
I3 Sustainable Design | Quantum Leaps in Design
Designing Research Environments for a Quantum Future
The University of Arizona's Grand Challenges Research Building is designed to provide an interdisciplinary venue for developing solutions for the eight "grand challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution." Housing the university's Center for Quantum Networks, the building facilitates cross-pollination between physical, digital, and biological disciplines.The quantum and optical labs support this mission by providing space and equipment for scientists to rapidly advance mobile digital processing, sensing, imaging, medicine, networked informatics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The facility accommodates specialized needs, such as vibration control and total darkness for optical science labs, while emphasizing collaborative. The modular design allows for adaptability, enabling both generic and specialized labs to coexist on the same floor. A lab built to solve for the scientific plights of the future would be amiss without environmental stewardship. The all-electric building is LEED Gold accredited, with decarbonization strategies that influence the design holistically. From the high-performance envelope to the efficient MEP systems, the design supports university goals net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. This session will use Grand Challenges Research Building as a case study to show how quantum laboratories can be built to drive collaboration, meet laboratory and equipment requirements while still being experiential, and be designed sustainably.
​An Integrated Approach for a Carbon Neutral Laboratory for the University of Maryland
Achieving operational carbon neutrality in laboratory buildings is often financially challenging due to the high costs of electrified heat and the complexity these systems add to the research environment. The University of Maryland's Stanley R. Zupnik Hall, a 160,000 GSF interdisciplinary research facility, achieves operational carbon neutrality through a synergistic approach to passive and active energy conservation and an innovative waste heat recovery system. The facility includes wet-enabled laboratory space to support the Clark School of Engineering's Civil, Mechanical, and Environmental Engineering programs, including an autonomous vehicle lab and quantum technology research. Reducing laboratory energy was key to electrification. Active energy conservation includes dual-wheel energy recovery for neutral air chilled beams, segregated general and fume hood exhaust systems, and a cascading make-up air strategy that optimizes airflow between spaces. A waste heat harvesting system diverts heat from a neighboring district chilled water plant to create low-temperature hot water. Zupnik Hall leveraged targeted envelope enhancements to reduce heating and cooling demand. The design involved iterative parametric analysis and energy modeling to define a passive energy conservation program that enabled the downsizing of building systems while maximizing research flexibility. Once completed, Zupnik Hall will be operationally carbon-neutral and an exporter of district hot water.
Designing Quantum for Flexibility and Energy Efficiency
Quantum science is advancing rapidly, but working at the quantum scale presents unique challenges. This presentation will cover the basics of quantum research and the requirements for sub-atomic scale engineering. Using two major academic research institutions as case studies, we'll explore lab design parameters and system options to meet strict environmental criteria. Quantum labs, like wet labs, require tailored solutions. Different research areas—optics, materials, atomic sensing, and quantum computing—have varying needs. Some labs have strict vibration and noise requirements, while others need stable temperature (±1°F) and humidity (±5% RH annually). Cryogens are commonly used, and chemicals are often limited to prep rooms. Sensible heat gain can range from 4 to over 30 W/SF. Flexible, energy-efficient system design is crucial. We'll compare HVAC systems for different environmental conditions and loads, discussing humidification, dehumidification, HEPA filtration, and temperature/humidity stability. Recommendations will include using house systems to meet base level criteria and supplemental systems for specialized criteria.
I4 System Optimization | Processes for Safe, Sustainable Labs
Empowering EH&S: The Secret MVP of Laboratory Sustainability
Laboratory sustainability must not compromise laboratory safety. No individual is more important than the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) officer in ensuring these aims are achieved. The safety parameters established by EH&S, such as minimum air change rates, minimum fume hood face velocities, and off-hour controls play an enormous role in the energy and carbon performance of a building. However, many EH&S groups do not have sufficient availability or airflow expertise to optimize these safety parameters based on the characteristics of each individual lab, both during initial design/construction, and throughout the life of the building as the nature of the science being performed changes. This presentation will explore how owners and design teams can support EH&S professionals when establishing and adjusting critical safety parameters throughout the life of the building. Measures explored will include the use of third-party airflow safety consultants, demand controlled ventilation technology, I2SL resources, laboratory terminal unit design and controls, and how safety parameters are programmed into the BAS to allow for easy adjustment as deemed appropriate by EH&S. In addition, numerous examples of the energy and carbon impact of EH&S-established safety parameters on real-world projects will be presented.
Sustainable Lab Decommissioning
Lab decommissioning is part of the corporate world due to organizational changes and market needs. The Environmental, Health and Safety teams, lab operations, and facilities teams that are responsible for decommissioning of the labs are left behind with the challenge to reduce the environmental impact of the lab closure. This project focused on reuse of resources, green labs principles, circular economy for diverting lab instruments, and waste segregation by making use of different channels and resources while still maintaining zero waste certification for their facility. Although lab decommissioning can seem wasteful, there are strategies to address each element of the lab closure in a responsible manner to minimize the environmental impact and conserve natural resources. Turning off fume hoods and retiring biosafety cabinets that have reached obsolescence to save energy, donating instruments, and lab consumables were some of the sustainability highlights of this project. This session will cover the details of lab decommissioning projects, challenges involved, strategies used to minimize laboratory waste, and how to reduce costs while keeping sustainability at the forefront of the project.
Optimizing Manufacturing: Designing and Implementing Open and Closed Process Systems
This presentation focuses on designing and implementing open and closed process systems in manufacturing facilities. Presented in collaboration with BioX, the talk will explore key concepts and practical approaches to these essential systems. Attendees will take away: 1. A high-level definition of open and closed process systems, breaking down their core differences and purposes. 2. Why and when it makes sense to propose each type of system, supported by real-world scenarios to highlight their impact on manufacturing efficiency, sustainability, and compliance. 3.When the selected manufacturing process allows for a smaller mechanical system with reduced air change rates in the clean rooms. 4. Actionable strategies for incorporating these systems during the design phase, ensuring seamless integration into facility operations.
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