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Freezer Challenge 2023: Optimize Your Cold Storage Practices!

Lab Academy

-80°C is needed for storage of many high-value samples but ULT freezers consume energy - how can we optimize the usage of ULT freezers? The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) and My Green Lab® will reward the best improvements for sustainability in the freezer handling. Join the 2023 Freezer Challenge and share the spirits…

Laboratory freezers. There are millions of them around the world— essential for scientific discovery and the betterment of human health. We don’t pay much attention to them until they have an issue or completely fail. But there’s something better for your science…

Periodically attending to your lab’s cold storage for better sample access, sample integrity, reduced costs, and energy savings.

Global warming is one of the challenges for all of us. One of the easiest ways you can reduce your environmental impact in the lab is to consider the energy consumption of devices. Ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers, even environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient ultra-low units, consume a large amount of energy as they maintain extremely low temperatures 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for years.

My Green Lab® and The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL)/ will reward the best improvements for sustainability in the freezer handling. Join the 2022 Freezer Challenge and share the spirits…

Since -80°C is needed for storage of many high-value samples, how can the usage of ULT freezers be optimized? Discover the best ways!
For the 2022 Freezer Challenge, over 1.200 labs representing more than 120 organizations around the world tried their very best to win the challenge. The 2022 participants saved ~9.5 million kWh/year. The energy savings realized from this Challenge are equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by ~6,7 metric tons. All Freezer Challenge winners were honored at the annual I2SL conference and their accomplishments were published!
Together, the Freezer Challenge participants saved ~24 million kWh since 2017, the year of the first challenge.

Now, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) and My Green Lab® have partnered together again to reward best practices in cold storage management and sustainability: The Freezer Challenge 2023.

How can you participate?
It’s easy: ULT freezer users are invited to compete with colleagues from around the globe.

Labs and researchers can earn points by taking simple actions such as defrosting and cleaning out freezers, adjusting temperature set points, improving sample management, or sharing space with colleagues. A complete list of the actions is below. While labs are encouraged to take all of these actions, it is not necessary to do them all to compete in the Challenge. The goal is to save as much energy as possible.

The Goal:

Awards will be given to those who have done the most to save energy and improve their sample storage. The deadline for submitting score sheets is July 1st, 2023.

For more information on the 2023 Freezer Challenge and to register your lab go to:
https://www.freezerchallenge.org/

Related Links

Related documents

  • 2023 Freezer Challenge Participating Fyler
  • Guideline Freezer-Challenge