Main Content
Green Science Lab
Scientific research drives humanity forward, offering solutions to complex challenges such as climate change. However, the science and research industry also leaves a significant carbon footprint due to reliance on petroleum-based plastics, fossil fuels for transportation, and energy-intensive devices.
At M4C, we aim to promote sustainable resource use across all scientific endeavors, creating pathways to make our work more environmentally friendly and sustainable.In M4C want to raise awareness of sustainable use of resources at all levels of our scientific work and create opportunities to make our work more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
International Freezer Challenge
Laboratories typically consume 10 times more energy (electricity and heating) than office buildings. Considering that roughly 40 % of global green house gas (GHG) emissions come from generating electricity, there´s a potential in reducing GHG emission by reducing energy consumption in our laboratories.
After a comprehensive analysis of the energy-consuming processes in research and scientific work, the refrigeration and freezer rooms were identified as a suitable point of intervention. Several studies have already proven that even sensitive strains and samples do not necessarily need to be stored at -80 degrees Celsius and that limiting storage to -70 degrees Celsius does not result in any scientifically relevant disadvantages. On the contrary, the energy and cost savings are enormous.
To promote and raise awareness of this energy-saving opportunity, we joined in the International Freezer Challenge in 2023 and 2024. Several groups of M4C joined the competition and lowered the temperature of 22 freezers from -80° to -70°, started to share 10 ultra-low temperature freezers, switch off 5 of these freezers completely and replaced them with 4 new, more energy efficient models.
These actions alone will save over 300 kWh of electricity per day, equivalent to the energy consumption of over 30 average four-person households.
The Groups also helped save electricity through many other measures that were not quantified but are important nonetheless, including 34 complete freezer defrosts, 20 re-inventories and reorganizations to reduce energy-intensive search and opening times and exterior dust removal for more efficient cooling, improved room layout to mitigate heat islands, and other measures.
Looking at the total impact of these measure, we can save the over 300 kWh of electricity every day in future, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of over 30 average four-person households.
