Sustainability for ULT Freezers

Even environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient Ultra low temperature freezers (also known as ULT freezer or -80°C freezer) still consume a significant amount of energy as they maintain extremely low temperatures 24/7. With today‘s high energy costs and focus on the environment, energy conservation has become even more important in the lab.

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How can I find a sustainable ULT freezer?

Energy savings
Eco-friendly ULT freezers are designed to help you saving energy and reducing your carbon footprint without any compromise in sample security. Keep in mind, reliable -80°C storage conditions require energy based on physical law. Smaller compressor systems require less energy but at some level of scale reduction, these smaller systems become non-dynamic. This means, the -80°C within the freezer are rarely met anymore and the recovery rates after door openings expand to several hours. As a result, the high value sample within the ULT freezer may suffer from inadequate temperature conditions.

Cooling liquids
The coolant or cooling liquid within a ULT freezer is used to cool down and to regulate the temperature. To reduce global warming, there is a clear tendency towards switching from classic cooling liquids as R508B and R404A to green or natural cooling (e.g. R170, R290). These green coolants are future-proof and have a very low Global Warming Potential (GWP) of nearly zero. This is also supported by European Union Regulation (EU_517/2014). Eppendorf launched its first ULT freezer with green cooling in 2008, far earlier than most of our competitors. We now have more than10 years of experience with these coolants in R&D, production, logistics, and service in the field.

Longevity
The longer the life of a freezer, the more favorable for you as an user and for our environment. The price often plays a decisive role when purchasing a new freezer. Keep in mind the potential life time of the instrument. What about the cost-of-ownership over the years? Extend the life of your freezer by regular cleaning and inspection, regular maintenance, and repair and exchange of spare parts.

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