Read best practice for cold storage: check if your ULT is set too low or if you need to clear out old samples. See if you could get a grant to replace an old unit. Did you know that each Ultra Low Temperature (ULT) freezer can use up to £1,000 of energy each year if not used efficiently? That’s roughly the same as the average UK home.The University of Edinburgh has over 600 ULT freezers currently – and that number is growing. Luckily there are some quick and easy things you can do to make big reductions in the energy use of these vital and ubiquitous pieces of lab equipment.Use your cold storage efficientlyGet rid of old redundant samples to free up space, rather than buying an additional unit.Is your ULT set too cold? Many samples can be stored at –70°C, instead of -80°C, reducing energy consumption by 25-30%.The below resource is an internationally populated database showing samples stored at different temperatures for different lengths of time, with contact information for the sample owners. Check to see if your samples/materials are being stored at warmer temperatures.It includes contributions from the University of Colorado Boulder, University of California (various sites), Harvard, University of Alabama (Birmingham) and Virginia Tech.Biological samples stored long term at -70°C or warmerRead cold storage policy, guidance and best practiceCompare what you do to our freezers best practice guide.This is also covered in the lab sustainability training presentation video above. Document Freezers best practice guide (230.43 KB / PDF) Read the University’s Policy and Guidance on cold storage facilities and sustainable cold storage use. Document Cold storage policy and guidance (1.22 MB / PDF) Print out our cold storage sustainability postersPromote good practices in your lab. Document A4 poster: Don't overwork your air conditioning in rooms containing many freezers (150.3 KB / PDF) Document A4 poster: Keep your samples safe - defrost regularly (129.62 KB / PDF) Document A4 poster: ULT Freezers cost up to £1000 energy per year - remove excess samples (123.13 KB / PDF) Become familiar with studies and internship findingsWe are running a long term study at the Roslin Institute comparing sample degradation rates at different temperatures. The project will hopefully report in 2024. The study has already produced evidence for the 25-30% energy saving noted above. Document Efficient ULT freezer storage: An investigation of ULT freezer energy and temperature dynamics (494.28 KB / PDF) Document Freezer energy consumption report (148.47 KB / PDF) A summer internship in 2018 focused on the significant savings which can be achieved by simple good housekeeping (defrosting, vacuuming of the air filter and heat exchanger fins, sample management). Document Cold Storage Sustainability Project (2.04 MB / PDF) Apply for the Sustainable Campus FundReplace old cold storage units with new with a grant from the Sustainable Campus Fund.Please email the Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability if you are interested in this.SRS.Department@ed.ac.uk This article was published on 2024-10-01
