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Improving Energy Efficiency
In The Lab
Energy-efficient products that power your work and support your sustainability goals
How can we save energy in the lab?
Did you know? A single ultra-low temperature (ULT) lab freezer can use as much as 14,000 kWh of energy per year—that's equivalent to an average family home. And that's just one piece of equipment. Whether due to cold storage, instruments, or temperature-sensitive chemicals, labs can consume large amounts of energy. But there are ways to reduce your consumption: our energy-efficient products help power your work and support your sustainability objectives without compromising performance.
Our criteria for products that are energy efficient
We have rigorously evaluated products to ensure they meet at least one of the following standards:
For instruments:
- Operates with less energy than the prior generation
- Sample temperature is not affected with decreased energy usage
- Meets a publicly recognised standard for energy efficiency
For chemicals:
- Reactions do not require external temperature control
- Reagents designed for ambient storage
Featured products and technologies to improve energy-efficiency
Proper sample storage is critical in the lab environment, but it can also be highly energy-intensive. With Thermo Scientific ULT freezers, you get performance, reliability, and efficiency, so you can go green and reduce costs, all while keeping your samples safe.
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*. That's the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by driving nearly 24,100 kilometres in an average passenger vehicle, similar to circumnavigating Australia on Highway 1 just over one and a half times.
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.*
Forma FDE Series ultra-low temperature freezers
Powered by the H-drive hydrocarbon refrigeration system, the FDE Series Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers deliver sample security, focusing on operational savings and usability.
Sustainability impact: The FDE series H-drive's hydrocarbon technology means these systems save up to 25% in energy usage over conventional refrigerant ultra-low freezers*. They can also lower HVAC costs due to less heat emission into the lab environment.
Herasafe 2025 and Herasafe 2030i biological safety cabinets
The Herasafe 2025 and Herasafe 2030i BSCs are designed to reduce energy consumption with a proprietary airflow design and energy-efficient DC motors. They use up to 68% less energy than cabinets with traditional AC motors.* This is primarily due to the increased efficiency of DC motors in converting electric energy to airflow without the braking required in AC motors. In addition to energy savings, the reduced airflow also extends the filter life with more balanced loading.
Sustainability impact: These two innovative design features mean increased energy efficiency with an annual reduction of up to 2,405 kW-hr of energy consumption (1.7 tons CO2 equivalents) per unit*.
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.
Sustainability impact: A bath filled with Lab Armor Beads draws approximately 75% and 63% less energy when run at 37°C and 65°C, respectively, compared to a water-filled bath run at the same temperatures*.
Gibco room temperature–stable reagents
Improve your energy efficiency in the lab with a 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 enzymes
Sustainability impact: Globally, a switch by scientists to BenchStable media from current refrigerated media could save 34 GWh of energy each year, equivalent to the yearly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from more than 5,000 passenger cars*
Matrix 2D Barcoded Open-Top Storage Tubes
Get the most out of your cold storage equipment and efficiently store and track samples in Matrix 2D Barcoded Tubes. Offered in three sizes, 0.5mL, 0.75mL, and 1.4mL. These tubes can be stored down to -80°C and are ACT Labeled by My Green Lab to enable data-based sustainable product purchasing decisions.
Proper sample storage is critical in the lab environment, but it can also be highly energy-intensive. With Thermo Scientific ULT freezers, you get performance, reliability, and efficiency, so you can go green and reduce costs, all while keeping your samples safe.
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*. That's the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by driving nearly 24,100 kilometres in an average passenger vehicle, similar to circumnavigating Australia on Highway 1 just over one and a half times.
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.*
Forma FDE Series ultra-low temperature freezers
Powered by the H-drive hydrocarbon refrigeration system, the FDE Series Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers deliver sample security, focusing on operational savings and usability.
Sustainability impact: The FDE series H-drive's hydrocarbon technology means these systems save up to 25% in energy usage over conventional refrigerant ultra-low freezers*. They can also lower HVAC costs due to less heat emission into the lab environment.
Herasafe 2025 and Herasafe 2030i biological safety cabinets
The Herasafe 2025 and Herasafe 2030i BSCs are designed to reduce energy consumption with a proprietary airflow design and energy-efficient DC motors. They use up to 68% less energy than cabinets with traditional AC motors.* This is primarily due to the increased efficiency of DC motors in converting electric energy to airflow without the braking required in AC motors. In addition to energy savings, the reduced airflow also extends the filter life with more balanced loading.
Sustainability impact: These two innovative design features mean increased energy efficiency with an annual reduction of up to 2,405 kW-hr of energy consumption (1.7 tons CO2 equivalents) per unit*.
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.
Sustainability impact: A bath filled with Lab Armor Beads draws approximately 75% and 63% less energy when run at 37°C and 65°C, respectively, compared to a water-filled bath run at the same temperatures*.
Gibco room temperature–stable reagents
Improve your energy efficiency in the lab with a 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 enzymes
Sustainability impact: Globally, a switch by scientists to BenchStable media from current refrigerated media could save 34 GWh of energy each year, equivalent to the yearly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from more than 5,000 passenger cars*
Matrix 2D Barcoded Open-Top Storage Tubes
Get the most out of your cold storage equipment and efficiently store and track samples in Matrix 2D Barcoded Tubes. Offered in three sizes, 0.5mL, 0.75mL, and 1.4mL. These tubes can be stored down to -80°C and are ACT Labeled by My Green Lab to enable data-based sustainable product purchasing decisions.
More sustainability resources
Solutions for less waste or use of fewer resources
*Disclaimer: All data related to claims made on sustainability impact is available in the relevant product's green fact sheet.
Style Sheet for Global Design System