Improving Energy Efficiency

Energy-efficient lab equipment and consumables that help reduce environmental impact and help meet sustainability targets.

From cold storage and instruments to temperature-sensitive chemicals, labs can consume a tremendous amount of energy. However, there are practical ways to operate lab equipment more efficiently. By opting for energy-efficient equipment and products, labs can significantly reduce energy usage without compromising the integrity of their work.

More energy efficient criteria

Our products that are more energy efficient meet one or more of the following criteria:
 

For instruments

  • Operates with less energy (at least 10% gain in efficiency compared to preceding or comparable product)
  • Meets a publicly recognized standard for energy efficiency

For chemicals

  • Chemical reactions do not require external temperature control (e.g., heating or cooling) compared to similar reactions
  • Reagents are designed for ambient storage
  • Applications do not require external temperature control compared to similar reactions (run at ambient temperature)

Browse energy-efficient freezers and refrigerators

TDE Series -86°C Ultra-Low Chest Freezers

Powered by H-drive hydrocarbon systems, Thermo Scientific TDE Series -86°C Ultra-Low Chest Freezers provide a more energy efficient cold storage solution. They deliver the reliability and enhanced performance required for vital research without compromising sustainability goals. Key features include rapid temperature recovery after the door opens and tight peak variation.

Sustainability impact: TDE Series Ultra-Low Chest Freezers consume up to 38% less energy than prior models. By using more natural, non-hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, TDE Series ultra-low chest freezers help reduce environmental impact and further increase cooling efficiency. As an additional improvement, the foam insulation in these freezers is now made from a material that has zero global warming potential and does not deplete ozone.

TSG Series Refrigerators

Using natural, hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants, Thermo Scientific TSG Series general purpose chromatography refrigerators and laboratory refrigerators have zero ozone-depletion potential and help increase cooling efficiency. Designed to use less energy, TSG Series refrigerators meet ENERGY STAR criteria for lab-grade refrigerators and freezers and are more energy efficient than some conventional models. 

Sustainability impact: TSG Series Refrigerators consume up to 25% less energy than prior models.

TSX Series Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) freezers

The TSX Series ULT freezers feature V-drive adaptive control technology to minimise energy consumption without sacrificing sample security. While conventional ULT freezers use single-speed compressors that continually cycle on and off, the V-drive runs the compressors at variable speeds, adjusting cooling performance to the cooling demands inside and outside the freezer. When conditions are stable, the V-drive controls the system at low speed to reduce energy consumption while maintaining a stable temperature for sample protection.

Sustainability impact: TSX Series ULT freezers use up to 70% less energy than older conventional units, saving as much as 6 tons of CO2 per year.

TSX Series high-performance lab refrigerators

The TSX Series high-performance lab refrigerators feature technology that supports sample protection and sustainability objectives for storing products requiring 2° to 8°C. The Series' V-drive technology provides temperature uniformity that continually adapts to user patterns, offering significant energy savings without compromising protection.

Sustainability impact: TSX Series high-performance lab refrigerators use up to 40% less energy usage than conventional refrigerant models.

TSX Series high-performance lab freezers

These TSX Series freezers are the first high-performance freezers to be ENERGY STAR marked, meeting established ENERGY STAR certification criteria for lab-grade refrigerators and freezers.

Sustainability impact: While conventional refrigerant models use single-speed compressors that continually cycle on and off, the TSX Series' V-drive runs at variable speeds to adjust cooling performance to the conditions inside and outside the refrigerator or freezer. The V-drive tech means the TSX Series high-performance freezers use 35% less energy than conventional models.

Browse selected energy-efficient equipment and instruments

Heratherm refrigerated incubators

Heratherm refrigerated incubators are designed with energy efficiency in mind. For incubation temperatures close to ambient (e.g. for microbiological, fungal, and yeast studies, or shelf-life testing), these units consume less energy than conventional, compressor-based units. Likewise, the heat output to the room is lower, which reduces the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) burden compared to that of conventional technology.

Sustainability impact: These incubators use 70–84% less energy than traditional compressor units. Additional energy is saved as a result of reduced heat output during operation.

Centrifuges and Fiberlite rotors

The Thermo Scientific centrifuges listed offer several key features that reduce energy use during operation, including the Green Mode, Smart Vacuum, windshielded rotors, Fiberlite carbon fibre rotors and efficient cooling system.

  • Sorvall LYNX 4000 and LYNX 6000 Superspeed centrifuges
  • Sorvall BP 8 and 16 Blood Banking centrifuges
  • Sorvall BIOS 16 Bioprocessing centrifuge
  • Cryofuge 8 and 16 Large Capacity Blood Banking centrifuges
  • Sorvall general-purpose centrifuges

Sustainability impact: Use up to 74% less energy than other older models and centrifuges on the market.

QuantStudio 6 and 7 Pro Real-time PCR systems

The QuantStudio 6 and 7 Pro systems are more energy-efficient, using up to 26% less energy to process one sample plate than other models on the market.

Sustainability impact: In a typical lab that is running a real-time PCR system for 8 hours a day, the QuantStudio 6 or 7 Pro systems could help save up to 640 kWh of energy over the course of a year, representing 0.453 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents.

Gibco Lab Armor Beads

Lab Armor Beads are made of a metallic alloy and comprise nonuniform metal beads designed to replace water in a water bath. The resulting dry bath uses less electricity and fluctuates less in temperature during operation than a water bath. The reusable beads also eliminate the routine use of harmful germicides and can be cleaned with a spray of 70% ethanol.

Browse selected energy-efficient chemicals and supplies

Gibco room temperature-stable reagents

Improve your energy efficiency in the lab with collection of BenchStable media, supplements, and reagents that don't require refrigeration. This will reduce dependency on cold storage, one of the primary sources of a lab's energy consumption.

  • BenchStable media in formulations including DMEM, DMEM/F-12, MEM, and RPMI 1640
  • GlutaMAX Supplements
  • TrypLE enzymers

 

Sustainability impact: TDE Series Ultra-Low Chest Freezers consume up to 38% less energy than prior models. By using more natural, non-hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, TDE Series ultra-low chest freezers help reduce environmental impact and further increase cooling efficiency. As an additional improvement, the foam insulation in these freezers is now made from a material that has zero global warming potential and does not deplete ozone.

More sustainability insights

Get the facts. Find details on all green product claims for each of our greener product lines.

We take sustainable product design seriously and believe all greener product claims should be transparently documented. For each of our greener product lines, we provide a green fact sheet that explains and substantiates the greener product claim(s) related to that product line.

More criteria for designing to reduce environmental impact

Less hazardous products and waste

Minimizing hazardous materials and hazardous waste in the lab is a win for both safety and the environment.

Less waste and use of fewer resources

When reducing waste in your lab, every little bit helps. Whether it’s reducing,  eliminating or reusing. 

Responsibly packaged and shipped

Reducing packaging, replacing non-recyclable materials and shipping products at ambient temperatures when feasible

Extending life of products and materials

Innovating ways to extend the useful life of products and materials.