Make Your Lab More Sustainable with Greener Cold Storage

Cold storage is critical for any lab, where it allows for preservation of cell cultures, patient samples, biologics, and other precious material. But to protect the environment, save energy, and be more socially responsible, it is important for labs to identify greener cold storage solutions. This article looks at how refrigeration technology has evolved and highlights some key factors that may influence your purchasing decision.

A brief history of refrigeration technology

Refrigeration technology has been around for almost 200 years and is based on the principle that evaporation of certain liquids produces a cooling effect. Early refrigerants such as carbon tetrachloride and diethyl ether had poor safety records due to being combustible, toxic, unstable, and/or corrosive. As such, various alternatives were developed, of which chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are the most well-known. CFCs and HCFCs were widely used in the mid-to-late twentieth century, but were respectively found to be responsible for destroying the ozone layer and causing an atmospheric greenhouse effect tens of thousands of times that of carbon dioxide. To help combat the global warming crisis, hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants have since become the preferred choice.

Advantages of hydrocarbon refrigerants

Hydrocarbon refrigerants offer many advantages over their outdated counterparts. Because they contain no chlorine or fluorine atoms, they do not harm the ozone layer. They also boast a global warming potential (GWP) that is close to zero. (The GWP is calculated relative to carbon dioxide, which has a GWP of 1). In addition, since HC refrigerants exhibit low freezing points and high latent heats of evaporation, they achieve faster cooling times, which can both reduce energy consumption and decrease running costs. For these reasons, cold storage solutions centered on HC refrigerants are seeing greater use worldwide.

Green considerations for selecting a cold storage solution

Many different cold storage solutions now feature HC refrigeration technology, including 2–8 ^oC pharmacy refrigerators, -20 ^oC lab freezers, and -150 ^oC cryogenic freezers. But besides the type of refrigerant that is used, there are many other factors to consider when identifying a greener product for your lab. Depending on the cold storage solution in question, these might include:

• Thick insulating foam to reduce power consumption
• Optional inner doors for improved thermal efficiency
• Robust door seals to better maintain internal temperatures
• Access ports to limit the need for additional cooling after manual temperature testing
• Energy-efficient fans with intelligent start-stop functioning to avoid unnecessary energy expenditure
• Advanced microprocessor-based temperature control for tighter equipment management
• Capacity for wireless monitoring of both the cold storage solution and the wider laboratory environment to ensure operational integrity
• Multifunctional alarms to ensure any potential problems are promptly addressed

Frequency conversion adaptive technology is a relatively new development within the field of cold storage. Rather than using a single speed compressor to provide cooling, frequency conversion adaptive technology enables the compressor to run at variable speeds depending on both internal and external conditions. For example, a higher compressor speed might be applied at start-up and door openings to maintain low temperatures, while a lower compressor speed offers energy savings under normal conditions without compromising valuable samples.

Manufacturers have a central role in encouraging green practices

In addition to the physical attributes just discussed, it is important to consider the green credentials of different equipment manufacturers when selecting a cold storage solution. With environmental, social, and governance (ESG) credentials increasingly influencing purchasing decisions, manufacturers that can demonstrate adherence to the latest environmental protection standards may often be a more favorable choice. Factors such as the amount of energy the manufacturer uses, the quantity of waste it creates, and the carbon emissions it produces all come into play here, as well as how the manufacturer plans to become greener moving forward.

Within the past few decades, countless initiatives have been created to encourage greener working practices. These include the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a non-binding pact that encompasses the integration of environmental sustainability principles into business operations, and accolades such as China’s National Green Factory Award, which recognize various achievements within the field of environmentally friendly technology. Also, when searching for more sustainable equipment, energy efficiency may be denoted by an ENERGY STAR^® symbol (a U.S. government-backed symbol aimed at helping consumers to both save money and protect the environment). Again, manufacturers with a vested interest in these schemes may fit better with your own environmental policies.

Haier Biomedical is a leading provider of low temperature storage equipment for biomedical samples. It is signed up to UNGC and is a recent recipient of a Green Factory Award. To learn more, visit haierbiomedical.com