Green Labs

Sustainability is about finding “win-win-win” solutions that are good for the planet, people, and the bottom line. As the coronavirus pandemic has swept through and challenged the typical modes of operation for our University, extra emphasis has been placed on keeping people safe and reducing costs. Fortunately, many environmentally green solutions can also save some “green” and help us be good stewards of UVA’s resources during this tough time.

The Green Labs program, started in 2016, helped focus and lead efforts to assess and improve lab sustainability at UVA. The subsequent success and expansion of the program has created new opportunities for students to contribute to Green Labs initiatives around Grounds, including positions for two Green Lab interns. Read more to hear about how Dakota and Pumoli have helped transform the Green Labs program.

At the University of Virginia, a competitive research environment is our petri dish for testing friendly lab-to-lab competition aimed at reducing environmental impacts of research. UVA Green Labs hosts three annually recurring programs: The International Laboratory Freezer Challenge each Spring, a Shut the Sash fume hood competition in October, and a comprehensive year-long Certification Program. Through these competitive programs, labs are improving their operations, conserving lab resources, and earning rewards (with bragging rights, for some).

The goal of Green Labs is to promote safe and sustainable practices in research at UVA. One of the best things that lab personnel can do is shut their chemical fume hood sash when not in use to protect lab occupants and save building energy use. Every October, Green Labs runs a “Shut the Sash” competition where labs are able to win prizes for meeting goals in fume hood management.

Visit any biology or chemistry laboratory and you will probably find one: a chemical fume hood (CFH). Drawing air from the room, fume hoods vent harmful gases generated during lab experiments away from the researcher and out of the work space by way of the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Although essential for safety, this removal of conditioned air can dramatically drive up energy consumption depending on the fume hood type (constant vs. variable air volume) and average sash position (open or closed). For example, leaving the sash open on a variable air volume (VAV) fume hood is comparable to heating your home in the winter while the windows are left open.