What's New

I2SL Announcements

  • We are pleased to share that I2SL President Gordon Sharp has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award and the Exceptional Service Award by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) at the ASHRAE 2023 Conference in Tampa, Florida. Gordon was previously awarded ASHRAE Fellow status, which recognizes members who have made substantial contributions in HVAC&R and the built environment such as education, research, engineering design and consultation, publications, presentations, and mentoring. Congratulations, Gordon!
  • I2SL recently signed memorandum of understanding with Sustainable Labs Canada (SLCan) and I2SL members can also receive the member rate for SLCan's 2023 Conference November 20-22. If you are interesting in attending the conference, just select the I2SL membership rate when registering and entering your I2SL member number.
  • As part of the new Sustainable Laboratories Awards Program, I2SL recognized outstanding people, projects, and programs exhibiting innovative and exemplary achievements in sustainable laboratories. Check out the full list of winners from 2022 and stay tuned for this year's winners.
  • The I2SL Laboratory Benchmarking Tool (LBT) has gone global! Siemens Smart Infrastructure sponsored an internationalization project for the tool. LBT users can now enter data for labs anywhere in the world and can use U.S. or metric units for benchmarking comparisons.
  • The outsized environmental impacts of laboratories have led many institutions to try and reduce their carbon footprint and plastic waste. Read more about how My Green Lab is helping scientists improve sustainability in research labs and laboratories.
  • I2SL is excited to announce the addition of four new members to its Board of Directors: Sean Convery of Cator Ruma; Deidre Carter of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Eleni Reed of Alexandria Real Estate; and Star Scott of the University of Georgia. Mr. Convery has also been elected to serve as Treasurer of the I2SL Board.

Labs2Zero

  • To help address the outsized impact laboratories have on carbon emissions, I2SL is creating the new Labs2Zero program. The goal of the program is to develop a roadmap to decarbonize the world’s high-tech research facilities. The program will include a variety of components, including an Energy and Emissions Scorecard for Labs, Actionable Insights and Measures (AIM) Report, Design2Zero tool, training, certification, and more.
  • If you are interested in getting involved with Labs2Zero, consider joining a Technical Advisory Council. Check out the available volunteer opportunities and complete the Google Form to let I2SL you'd like to volunteer.
  • I2SL is also looking for Founding Sponsors to help support the development of the program. If your organization would like to sponsor I2SL's decarbonization efforts, please review the Sponsorship Prospectus. For any questions, please email Gordon Sharp.

Annual Conference

  • Mark your calendars! 2023 I2SL Annual Conference will be October 22-25, 2023, at the Hilton Anaheim in California.
  • Registration for the 2023 Annual Conference is now open. Register soon before rates go up onsite.
  • Check out the full agenda to see what’s in store for the conference. With three days of technical sessions, there’s something for everyone. Add an optional pre-conference workshop or tour to make the most of your conference experience.
  • Need accommodations? Book your room with the Hilton Anaheim by Saturday, September 30 to receive I2SL’s block room rate.
  • Booth space is almost gone! Get your booth for the Technology and Services Fair to ensure your spot in the Exhibit Hall.
  • Make the most of your marketing dollars by becoming an Annual Conference sponsor. There are a variety of sponsorship options available, or if you don't see what you're looking for, I2 will work with you to create a custom sponsorship.

Freezer Challenge

  • Congratulations to the 2023 International Freezer Challenge winners! Nearly 2,000 labs from 27 countries and over 26,000 cold storage units participated in this year's challenge. Participants saved saved a total of 20.7 million kilowatt hours of energy—equivalent to 37.5 million miles driven by an average gas-powered vehicle! These savings also helped prevent over 14,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released.
  • Winners will be recognized on Tuesday, October 24 during the 2023 I2SL Annual Conference in Anaheim, California.
  • Check out this article featured in Lab Manager magazine where winners of the 2022 International Laboratory Freezer Challenge share what they’ve learned and the lasting benefits of their participation in the Freezer Challenge!

I2SL Chapters

Working Groups

  • Current research funding structures generally miss the opportunity to encourage or require research institutions to demonstrate environmental sustainability to receive funds. As a result, My Green Lab and I2SL’s University Alliance Group created the Million Advocates for Sustainable Science letter signing campaign. This call to action challenges research funders to urge scientists, institutions, and stakeholders to improve and implement sustainability, resource efficiency, and resiliency within research laboratories. Sign the letter today to join thousands of sustainable science advocates around the world in the push to change the way scientific research is conducted!
  • Learn about the Bringing Efficiency to Research (BETR) Grants program, which is an ongoing focus of the I2SL University Alliance Group (UAG).

Resources

  • Check out the 2022 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI), compiled by the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The Index recognizes top-performing colleges and universities in 17 sustainability impact areas and overall. Read the report to learn more about the institutions, as well as high-impact best practices.
  • As part of an ongoing series, I2SL is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to offer webinars highlighting new and updated best practices guides on laboratory sustainability and efficiency topics. View the recordings of the first five webinars of the series free of charge.

Job Opportunities