University of California, Santa Barbara
IN-3: Innovation 3

UC Santa Barbara founded the LabRATS (Laboratory Research and Technical Staff) program to "green" labs in 2006 and continues to support the program today. UCSB has been proud to be a front-runner in developing programs to enhance laboratory sustainability since 2006. During the last five years, at least 25 different programs have been initiated to address key aspects of laboratory operations. The accomplishments of these programs, listed below, have been numerically quantified wherever feasible. In some cases, limitations in equipment and building metering make it difficult to estimate the impact in dollars, kWh, or volumes of water or waste saved. Comprehensive Assessment Programs • About 12% of the 773 laboratory spaces, managed by about 350 PIs/responsible authorities, have been comprehensively assessed by the Laboratory Assessments for Research Sustainability (LARS) Program. This program has provided the initial impetus for the development of most of the programs listed below. • From 2008 to 2010, the Engineering Science Building’s electricity usage decreased by 8%, from 5.043 million kWh to 4.636 million kWh, costing $44k less to operate, a result at least partially attributable to the efforts described in this document.* • The Engineering Science Building was assessed as a whole-building system, including in-depth analysis of UCSB’s Nanofabrication Facility, the most high-intensity laboratory in the building. Recommendations for building modifications have been backed up by an independent consultant firm and are now being acted upon by Facilities Management and Nanofab Staff.* • Campus Lab Buildings are now being assessed yearly through the Laboratories for the 21st Century Benchmarking program and compared with peer buildings in similar climate conditions. UCSB’s most energy-intense buildings use slightly more than the national average of 620 kBTU/gsf-yr.* • The Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) building has been certified under the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings as part of UCSB’s planned portfolio of 25 LEED-Certified campus buildings, a goal for 2012. Key Equipment Initiatives for Energy Savings • Fumehood Management Stickers installed in variable air volume (VAV) buildings improved researcher behavior, increasing sash closure rates. Building metering systems were used to pinpoint non-compliant laboratories for increased educational efforts. Savings are estimated at $500 - $6000 per hood annually for most hoods. There are about 200 such hoods on campus.* • In 2011, UCSB participated in the inaugural year of the National Freezer Challenge. The 100+ ultra-low-temperature freezers on campus cost between $1800 and $4000 each per year in energy and upkeep.* • The complement of 49 mechanical vacuum pumps in the Nanofab Cleanroom use $200 - $2900 each in energy per year when left continuously running. Newer models of pumps increase pumping efficiency by up to 88%. We are leveraging multiple funding sources to replace these pumps. • Instrumentation in shared laboratories is often left running because no one is sure if it can be turned off. A red-yellow-green sticker labeling system was developed to assist researchers in knowing if instruments can be powered down.* • UCSB has contributed data to Labs21’s Energy Efficient Equipment Wiki, an online resource intended to assist scientists in choosing efficient equipment models.* Waste Management UCSB has committed to diverting 75% of its waste from the Landfill by 2012, as well as reaching a goal of nearly Zero Waste by 2020. With existing programs, current diversion rates are 67%. Ten laboratory buildings currently have all non-hazardous waste transported directly to Tajiguas Landfill. To achieve the above goals, this laboratory waste stream must be diverted from the landfill. • Buildings Waste Audits: Audits of LSB and MSRB revealed a potential 53-73% diversion rate. Currently, none of the waste from laboratory buildings is diverted from the landfill. • The Surplus Chemical Exchange program, created in partnership with EH&S, has diverted 346 chemicals from the waste stream to date. • The Surplus Equipment Inventory website has been created as an online tool to streamline the transfer of equipment between departments. It will soon be further populated with listings of unused lab materials and equipment from storage areas around campus.* • Key recyclable laboratory plastics have been identified and promoted with educational campaigns. Research into recyclability of other lab waste streams is ongoing and will be addressed in partnership with EH&S efforts to develop safer disposal practices.* • LabRATS’ 2007-2008 Mercury Thermometer Exchange Program removed or replaced more than 700 mercury thermometers, barometers, and MacLeod gauges from campus laboratories. Water Management • The Purified Water Use Campaign corrects sample rinsing procedures which typically waste 5 to 50 liters of costly deionized water per sample rinse in semiconductor labs and elsewhere.* • The ESB Reverse Osmosis Reject Recycling Project has been funded by the TGIF program and will save 50,000 gallons of water per month.* • Modification of a single still in one UCSB laboratory following a LARS assessment has saved about 60,000 gallons of water annually for the last 4 years. Education and Campus Outreach • LabRATS’ Internship Program has employed more than 30 undergraduates in the 5 years of its existence, exposing them to the wide range of campus research and making hands-on impacts to campus sustainability. • The Green Chemistry Program has hosted multiple guest speakers and promoted alternative chemistry options in undergraduate learning labs. • Lab Buildings Sustainability Guide Posters have been distributed to laboratories and offices of more than 400 building occupants in engineering buildings.* • The Introduction to Lab Buildings Lecture Series has been presented to over 300 undergraduate and graduate researchers to date, providing the key message that helping to maintain lab building operation and sustainable practices is an important aspect of scientific research and their responsibility as professional scientists.* • A lecture series for Future Faculty on Starting Up New Laboratories is planned through CNSI’s Professional Development Series for presentation to senior grads and post-docs. It will cover more advanced topics than the Introduction to Lab Buildings lecture, providing up-to-date information on state-of-the-art efficient laboratory design and operation, as well as a number of other subjects pertinent to future PIs developing their own laboratories.* Program Publicity, National and International Outreach • LabRATS’ Website, hosted on the sustainability.ucsb.edu domain, receives heavy traffic, providing Best Practices information to many university campuses. It is undergoing renovations and updates to provide information on programs added in the last two years. • In 2008, LabRATS was honored with the Go Beyond Award from the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories and R&D Magazine. • LabRATS has participated in the filming of documentaries and collaborated in a number of journal articles in campus and national-level magazines on subjects relevant to sustainable lab operations, including a feature article in Science Magazine.* • In June 2010, A Green Labs Planning Listserv and File-share was opened in collaboration with colleagues at other universities. It presently boasts 85 members from campuses across the US and internationally.* • A total of 7 Conference Presentations and 3 Training Workshops on UCSB’s sustainable lab programs have been presented with high accolades at the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference and the national Laboratories for the 21st Century Conference in 2010 and 2011.* • UCSB’s work was also presented in the United Kingdom on a 4-University Invited Lecture Tour hosted by the UK’s S-Lab Program (Safe, Successful, and Sustainable Laboratories), part of the Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement (HEEPI) initiative.* • LabRATS and UC Davis have recently authored a Technical Bulletin for the Laboratories for the 21st Century program on the persistent success of the fumehood sash sticker initiative. * Points marked with an asterisk were initiated or were subjects of major focus to the postdoctoral project.