Energy

Powering science with less

Labs are energy-hungry places. Ultra-low freezers, fume hoods and equipment left running around the clock mean a single lab can use several times the energy of an office the same size. That makes energy one of the most powerful places to start, because the savings are real, measurable, and often far easier to capture than you'd expect.

Many of the biggest wins cost nothing at all: closing the fume hood sash, switching off idle equipment, warming a freezer from -80 to -70°C, or sharing kit rather than buying more. Small, repeatable habits add up to genuine reductions in both carbon and cost.

Read the blogs below for simple changes you can make today.

The Hum Stops Here: Save Energy by Turning Off BSCs

In a previous Greening the Bench post, Switch Off to Save: Tackling Plug Load in the Lab, we explored how small changes to equipment habits can cut energy use. This time, we’re focusing on biosafety cabinets, a crucial piece of lab equipment often left running 24/7. Simply switching them off when not in use can save energy without compromising safety. Understanding Biosafety Cabinets Biosafety cabinets (BSCs) are vital for protecting both samples and operators. They provide a

Nov 11, 2025

Switch Off Together: Building a Shutdown Culture in the Lab

We’ve talked before about plug loads and the energy wasted by equipment left on unnecessarily, a hidden but significant cost to both budgets and sustainability goals. (See our Switch Off to Save blog for more detail on that.) But there’s one thing that’s harder than installing a plug timer or putting up a sticker: building a culture where everyone takes responsibility for switching off. Shutting down lab instruments and kit at the end of the day isn’t something one person can

Oct 6, 2025

Night-Time Savings: How Safe HVAC Setbacks Pay Off

Walk into your lab on Monday and everything feels just right: clean benches, stable temperatures, and full ventilation. Now imagine the building working just as smartly while you were away, keeping things safe, but not working harder than it needs to. That’s the idea behind HVAC setbacks: thoughtful, safety-led adjustments overnight that cut energy use and costs without disrupting your work. Labs use more energy than offices Per square metre, labs typically consume 3–5× more

Aug 25, 2025

Switch Off to Save: Tackling Plug Load in the Lab

When we think about energy use in laboratories, we often picture the big players such as ultra-low freezers, fume hoods, HVAC systems as we’ve touched on in previous blogs. But hiding in plain sight is a more subtle, yet significant contributor to lab energy waste: plug load. That’s the term for all the energy drawn by equipment simply plugged into a socket and in many labs, it’s quietly consuming power even when no one’s around. Plug load: The hidden cost of idle equipment P

May 27, 2025

Warming Up ULT Freezers: A Simple Step for Big Energy Savings

One of the most common questions I hear when discussing lab sustainability is, “Which piece of equipment in my lab consumes the most energy?” While the answer can vary depending on your specific setup, if you have an Ultra Low Temperature (ULT) freezer, it’s almost certainly at the top of the list. In fact, a single ULT freezer can use as much energy as an entire home - and many labs house rows of these freezers, each packed with valuable biological samples. Why We Need ULT F

Feb 17, 2025

The Power of a Closed Sash: Maximising efficiency and safety in VAV Fume Hoods

In the world of laboratory work, safety and efficiency are non-negotiable. One of the most critical elements in this equation is the fume hood—a vital safety device designed to protect you from hazardous fumes, vapours, and particulates. But did you know that airflow is often the most energy-intensive process in laboratories across the UK? To put this into perspective, a typical office requires 4 to 10 air changes per hour (ACH). In contrast, laboratory settings demand 6 to 3

Jan 23, 2025