AIM Takes a Global Approach to Improving Lab Building Energy Efficiency

Recognizing that research facilities across the globe can benefit from automated energy audits,

the Actionable Insights and Measures (AIM) software tool has gone global! Now lab owners, campus planners, facility managers, engineers, and consultants around the world can use AIM to identify and prioritize lab building efficiency improvements in their whole portfolio of buildings for a fraction of the cost of an in-person energy audit. 

Joining forward-thinking lab innovators in the United States, users from countries around the world can now use AIM to analyze costs, energy savings, and return on investment for a variety of lab building improvement measures, as well as receive case studies of each measure in action. With the recent addition of global weather data, currencies, utility rates, and implementation costs, AIM allows lab owners and managers around the world to generate custom energy audits for their buildings before diving deeper into specific projects or hiring a specialty contractor to perform onsite energy assessments.

The AIM software makes intelligent assumptions based on lab building properties and allows users to refine their inputs to get more accurate results. Based on facility and utility data entered in the I2SL Lab Benchmarking Tool (LBT), AIM generates a list of potential energy conservation measures that could improve performance of the facility and systems. Subscribers can build an energy audit report from a library of more than two dozen lab-specific measures. 

Not ready to subscribe? I2SL offers a free demo version so users can try all the AIM software features with a handful of energy conservation measures before subscribing to unlock the full library of measures.

AIM was developed as part of I2SL’s Labs2Zero program to be an unbiased tool based on the expertise of more than 50 professionals from the lab architecture, engineering, energy services, academic, and pharmaceutical communities who volunteer on technical advisory councils (TACs). I2SL members receive a 10 percent discount on AIM subscriptions, and institutional or corporate members, along with international members, receive an even larger discount; email info@i2sl.org for details.

In 2026, I2SL plans to update the AIM tool with even more measures and refined calculations. And the Labs2Zero Energy Score and Operational Emissions Score will soon be updated to more accurately reflect a lab’s energy and operational emissions performance compared to similar facilities. I2SL is also seeking case studies of AIM measures in action around the world. Users can submit a one- to three-page case study to info@i2sl.org for inclusion in a future version of the AIM software; include the lab building owner, location, purpose, square footage, and measures implemented, along with results, challenges, and lessons learned. For more information about the AIM tool or joining a Labs2Zero TAC, email info@i2sl.org.