Efficiency Unleashed: Harnessing Chill-Up & Freezer Health Scores in Labs
In the world of scientific research, ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers play a crucial role. Found across diverse laboratories, these freezers are essential for preserving biological samples like enzymes, tissues, bacteria, vaccines, and temperature-sensitive materials and reagents. However, their importance is counterbalanced by a notable environmental footprint.?
Scientific laboratories are among the intensive energy consumers, with a large portion of their usage coming from cold storage. This high consumption level presents a dual challenge for labs:??
In response, laboratories are on a quest for innovative, energy-efficient cold storage solutions. By actively adopting strategies such as freezer chill-up and advanced equipment Health Scores, laboratories can navigate these challenges more effectively. These approaches not only signify a step toward environmental responsibility, but also pave the way for operational fine-tuning, ensuring labs maintain their pivotal role in scientific discovery while embracing sustainability.?
For Best Energy & Cost Savings, Try Freezer Chill-Up??
Elemental Machines, a specialist and leader in connectivity solutions for laboratories, recently conducted a study to evaluate the impact of adjusting ULT freezer set points slightly above the standard recommended temperature (-80°C) to measure the impact on energy usage and associated costs. During the 2-month test using three types of freezers, some units were maintained at the conventional -80°C throughout, while others were adjusted to a -70°C chill-up set point after the initial four weeks.?
Chill-up freezer set points are recommended as a best practice for the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge. This is a friendly competition where labs learn to improve cold storage energy efficiency, reducing risks and saving costs for their institutions while simultaneously improving sample accessibility.?
The study’s findings revealed that altering the freezer set point to -70°C yielded significant energy savings — approximately a 20% drop in average daily energy usage, compared to the -80°C setting. Projecting annually, this adjustment could translate to cost savings of up to $125 per freezer. When those numbers are applied to a fleet of freezers, the savings are substantial.??
The impact of chill-up method shines for older freezers, which often struggle to maintain a tight temperature range. These units may inadvertently continue chilling to -80°C even when set to -70°C, leading to excessive energy use. Conversely, newer freezers tend to be more efficient, reliably holding temperatures between -67°C and -70°C when set to -70°C to optimize energy use and facilitate cost savings.?
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Introducing the AI-Predicted Health Score?
To aid operators in the evaluation of their cold storage freezers, Elemental Machines has developed a novel solution for maintaining the health of not only freezers, but also other equipment around your lab: the AI-Predicted Health Score.??
This tool provides unique insights into equipment’s overall health and efficiency, guiding laboratories in their quest for energy-efficient practices.??
Utilizing leading-edge IoT and AI technology, Health Score gathers and analyzes data to create a map of physical causes of degradation over time. It employs sophisticated proprietary algorithms to detect anomalous changes, identify when units need attention, and provide indicators of overall equipment health, enabling you to precisely chart the trajectory of your equipment’s performance.??
This capability empowers lab managers with the knowledge to enact informed, proactive strategies for their equipment management, ensuring operational efficiency and extending equipment life span.?
The Impact of Chill-Up on the AI-Predicted Health Score?
The AI-Predicted Health Score automatically self-adjusts its algorithms to the chill-up adjustments in freezer temperature settings. By elevating the set temperature slightly, this strategy not only conserves energy, but also improves overall ULT freezer health and durability.?
Compressor cycles are also affected by temperature adjustments. At -70°C, compressors have shorter and steeper cycles, indicating less effort and thus less stress on the unit. This improvement is directly reflected in the improved AI-Predicted Health Score for freezers operating at the chill-up set point.?
Furthermore, strategic management of defrost cycles and the minimization of door openings can reduce strain on freezer units, thereby enhancing the Health Score. In combination with our solution, these practices can decrease energy consumption, save money, and offer a clearer perspective on equipment longevity.?
Energy Efficiency Without Compromising Research Quality?
By adopting practices like chill-up and utilizing the AI-Predicted Health Score, laboratories may be able to significantly reduce energy consumption without compromising the integrity or quality of their research. These approaches ensure operational efficiency aligns with the uncompromised quality of scientific exploration, striking an essential balance between environmental responsibility and research excellence. Explore energy savings on our website today.
Great insights shared! Have you explored leveraging predictive analytics for preemptively identifying maintenance needs, thereby further optimizing operations and extending the life cycle of lab equipment? By diversifying your testing frameworks to include not just A/B but A/B/C/D/E/F/G, you can uncover nuanced insights that drive more targeted improvements.