The Seven Sustainability Trends Shaping Lab Design

By: Geraint Phillips, Senior Vice President of Global Operations, BioLife Solutions

The pharma and biotech industry is witnessing a surge in companies striving to achieve zero carbon goals, driven in part by initiatives such as the United Nations Race to Zero campaign. With their reliance on energy-intensive equipment, round-the-clock operations, constant outside air requirements, and high airflow rates, these laboratories present significant challenges to achieving sustainability. However, supporting a sustainable future does not necessarily entail a complete overhaul of laboratory spaces. Rather, it requires a shift in thinking and practice.

One crucial aspect is the physical construction of a lab, including its design and planning. The design of a lab plays a key role in determining its sustainability outcomes. Without careful attention to lab design and construction, there are constraints on what can be accomplished. To make labs more sustainable and pave the way for the next generation of scientists, sustainability considerations should permeate all aspects of lab design. By following and implementing green lab design trends aimed at reducing emissions, labs can become more environmentally friendly. Incorporating practices like mapping outlets, establishing project sustainability goals, and hard wiring for lab digitization can help push toward the net zero carbon goal. So, what are the sustainability trends shaping lab design today?

1. The shift to studying tissues and biologicals 

Maintaining the organization and categorization of biologics throughout research phases is of utmost importance, given their presence in various materials and models. Long-term storage of cell-based samples often demands ultra-low temperatures (ULT) or cryogenic temperatures. To best optimize lab space for equipment, sample organization, racking systems, and special storage protocols must be devised, making it critical for the architect to understand what is to be studied. Without this knowledge, designing organized spaces that minimize energy usage becomes difficult, as different research or storage focuses may demand adaptations to meet certain sustainable requirements. By opting for flexible equipment—covering multiple temperature ranges, with customizable storage options, labs can adapt to evolving research, enabling seamless adjustments and accommodating changing needs, ultimately supporting sustainability efforts.  

2. Reduction of hazardous chemical use

Fume hoods, known to consume significant amounts of energy in labs, have become a focus for resource optimization. With a reduction or even elimination of hazardous chemical use in lab settings, fume hoods should operate less frequently. To address this, bio cabinets and fume hoods are being consolidated from individual labs and centralized into communal spaces, reducing the need for high-energy equipment in each lab. This approach reduces the burden of constant fume hood operation in new or refurbished laboratories. Additionally, effective lab design includes implementing a system to manage and organize chemical inventories, preventing issues such as duplicate purchases or expired chemicals on shelves. Constructing these spaces to allow for organized equipment sharing will help reduce unnecessary chemical waste and, as a result, carbon emissions.

3. Measure the right metrics and avoid greenwashing

In the life science industry, as companies strive to standardize and transparently track their sustainability initiatives, it is crucial to steer clear of the practice known as 'greenwashing.' The term greenwashing is used to describe companies that claim to be environmentally conscious for marketing purposes without making any sustainability efforts. With the right levels of reporting and action, greenwashing can be avoided. Establishing clear project sustainability goals early on and regularly revisiting them is paramount. Lab architects and design leads must understand these goals and consider them when selecting equipment, materials, and workflows. Opting for environmentally certified equipment, like ENERGY STAR or the ACT (Accountability, Consistency, and Transparency) Environmental Impact Factor (EIF), help support sustainability efforts and carbon emission reduction.

4. Outlet and power needs

When designing laboratory buildings, adherence to electric code standards is typically followed, which require an outlet every six feet. However, certain research equipment and devices, such as fume hoods or ULT freezers, require specific voltages for operation. Consequently, it becomes important to map out outlets strategically to accommodate the voltage requirements of these devices. The equipment requirements and the need to limit the number of high-voltage outlets available can impact room layout, workflow, and the ultimate usability of the space. Lab architects must factor in outlet requirements and planning during the design process, especially if researchers are not utilizing low-voltage equipment that can be powered by standard outlets.

5. New rebates and policies for change 

The US government, as well as the United Nations, continue to introduce policies and guidelines to take steps toward addressing the current climate crisis. An example of this is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which has secured $500 billion1 in funding focused on the climate crisis. As expanded tax initiatives like the IRA emerge, funding flows into local policy action and local communities to help with the reduction of carbon emissions. 

Lab designers and architects should leverage energy rebates offered at the local level for sustainable equipment purchases. Several states, including California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington, provide rebates for the purchase of energy-efficient ULT freezer models or solar panels. It is important to thoroughly research and utilize all the available rebates and tax breaks applicable to sustainable materials and other equipment that can convert waste heat into electricity, thereby offsetting the building's energy costs. By capitalizing on these incentives, labs can make significant strides toward a more sustainable and cost-effective operation.

6. Lab digitalization and hybrid working environments

Research teams, motivated by results and analytics, can make informed decisions remotely with improved visibility and connectivity into lab operations through digitization. A more digitized lab with streamlined processes and procedures is likely to be more sustainable, as enhanced insights into operations can eliminate unnecessary energy use or sample loss from human error2.  Digitization in a lab setting can include everything from liquid nitrogen fill-sensing measurements to automated cryogenic storage to temperature monitoring devices in freezers and refrigerators. 

The pandemic-induced lockdown led to a significant 17 percent reduction3 in global carbon emissions. The ability to effectively conduct research remotely from home has prompted industries to embrace remote-first work environments, and research teams may also be following suit. For research teams engaged in regular remote monitoring of experiments over extended periods, it becomes important to incorporate hard wiring into the lab design to minimize digital waste. This approach enables centralized control of equipment, such as cameras or measuring devices, through a cloud-based automated source. Enabling remote control over equipment, energy usage, or lights will soon be an expectation, and lab architects must be prepared to design spaces as such.

7. Innovation and adaptation will create greener buildings

Researchers are becoming more aware of their supply chain's impact and how their decisions around material and equipment supply can affect their institution's total carbon footprint. If the researchers are included in building decisions, utilize them to advocate for more sustainable design and discuss lab procedures and processes to best understand the minor tweaks that may have an impact on the workspace flow. A great resource is the Sustainable Supplier Index that Greenbuild created. It contains sections on water management, energy efficiency, sustainable building materials, and planning and design, for example, that can be great sources for sustainable practices and materials. 

While the initially supplied equipment may not be energy-efficient, there are opportunities for adaptations or additions that can help reduce energy and resource consumption in the long run. For instance, motion-sensor lighting has long been employed to minimize unnecessary electricity usage, but providing small LED test lights that allow researchers or occupants to keep larger lights off during the day can be an alternative approach. Lab designers should explore small modifications to current processes that can collectively contribute to positive carbon emission reductions, and thoroughly research innovative practices that align with sustainability goals.

The waste produced from laboratory research has come to the attention of scientists and researchers alike; organizations and programs have been created and implemented to educate research teams on the impact lab waste can have on the planet. Organizations such as My Green Lab and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), as well as other programs like the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, are prime examples of the ongoing work to educate and shine a light on the impact of lab waste on the planet. 

Lab sustainability efforts need to originate in the design phase. Sustainability trends will continue to shape the lab design field as these carbon reduction efforts are top of mind. By utilizing key aspects such as flexible equipment, reduction of hazardous chemical use, strategic outlet placement, utilization of rebates and policies, lab digitalization, and adaptation to greener practices, labs can contribute to a greener future while advancing scientific research. Sustainability should be a priority throughout the entire design process, ensuring transparency and meaningful progress in environmental conservation. 

References

1. http://whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/inflation-reduction-act-guidebook/

2. https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/rpi-sues-cleaner-s-gaff-allegedly-destroyed-18164979.php

3. https://hbr.org/2022/03/is-remote-work-actually-better-for-the-environment 

Geraint Phillips is senior vice president of global operations with BioLife Solutions.