One of the strengths of Labs2Zero is that the more the program’s tools are used, the more useful they become! Thanks to the increased usage of the Lab Benchmarking Tool (LBT) over the past few years, I2SL has been able to draw on the latest data to refine the Labs2Zero Scorecard and provide more accurate ratings for lab buildings. That means now is a great time to benchmark a lab building!

Earth Month in April is an annual opportunity to remind researchers and facility staff about the importance of sustainability in laboratories and build momentum for initiatives that can change the way research is conducted. Looking for inspiration for an initiative to launch in labs this Earth Month? How about three? I2SL’s LabSavers campaign provides tools to conduct lab clean-outs and space evaluation. Equipment sharing programs demonstrate ways to save lab space, energy, and money. And the International Freezer Challenge promotes energy-saving cold storage best practices.

With over 1.5 million square feet of lab space, the University of Chicago (UChicago) launched a Smart Labs effort in 2025 as a key initiative in implementing the university’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goal. Lab buildings account for 39 percent of campus energy use, yet only 10 percent of the university’s overall gross square footage. UChicago Energy Manager Henock Kidanu described the opportunities and challenges faced while implementing Smart Labs during I2SL’s Education Month in February, offering ideas for other campuses with GHG goals.

What happens when lab buildings drift from their original design parameters, making inefficient operations the “new normal”? In a presentation during I2SL’s Education Month in February, Thrive Buildings’ Director of Life Science Solutions Patrick Kelly described how existing lab building can experience what he calls “operational drift,” when facility managers either lack access to systems to see how their buildings are performing or find improvements too costly or risky to change the status quo.

Heat recovery is a key strategy in many lab energy performance improvement and decarbonization strategies, including projects that earned I2SL Sustainable Lab Awards last year: a major renovation of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and a new construction project at Emory University in Atlanta. During a presentation at I2SL’s virtual Education Month in February, attendees learned about these two award-winning projects featuring energy recovery.