1. (Safe, Successful, Sustainable Laboratories)
The Lean Laboratory
Peter James, S-Lab
(Safe, Successful, Sustainable Laboratories)

2. About Us
Linking key laboratory stakeholders - e.g. researchers, lecturers, technical support, estates, designers & suppliers
Enabling strategic discussion of lab design, management and operation - identifying and driving improvement
Conference and workshops
Awards scheme
Good practice advice/publications
Audit and assessment tools

3. 2012 Award Winners Imperial – Continuous Commissioning
Liverpool – Central Teaching Laboratory
Loughborough – Kit Catalogue
Oldham 6th Form College – Regional Science Centre
Mike Foulkes/Plymouth – ISO 9001
Sheffield Hallam – Cell Culture Lab
St Andrews – Chemistry Teaching
Andrea Sella/UCL – Water Efficiency

4. Why Labs Will Change Core to STEM institutions Financial pressures
Student/staff expectations
Regulatory/stakeholder demands
Evident inefficiencies
More good practice examples
Developing capability/confidence

5. The Conference View
Is there scope to significantly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of labs, without compromising quality of work or safety? - 66% said great scope - 30% said some scope
What would most help to achieve this? - more pressure from funders (60%) - more focus by senior staff (57%) - more cross-functional working (54%)

6. University of Liverpool - Central Teaching Laboratory

7. University of St Andrews - Chemistry Teaching Lab

8. Imperial College - Continuous Commissioning

9. The Lab as a Business
A 10,000 m3 + successful laboratory - £30 million + income streams
A building cost of £25-30 million
Equipment assets of £5-10 million
Operating costs of £15-20 million
Space costs of £300+ per m2
Utilities £500,000 +
Materials/consumables £500,000+
Are assets and resources used effectively?
Are they understood?

10. Lab Energy Costs Lab Audited GIA/m2 Electricity cost £ Gas cost £
Total Energy Cost £
Liverpool - Bioscience
7,750
247,000
60,000
307,000
Edinburgh – Cancer Research
3,000
152,000
48,000
200,000
York - Biology
12,740
373,000
102,000
475,000
Manchester - Chemistry
3,816
432,000
161,000
593,000
Cambridge - Chemistry
27,603
888,000
211,000
1,099,000

11. Lab Energy Split (£) Bioscience Chemistry
Ventilation (including related heating) 45 60
Equipment 25 15
Conventional Heating/Hot Water 20
Lighting 10 5

12. Freezer Energy Varies Model Capacity (litres) Cost per litre (£)
Annual running cost at 7.3p/kWh
New Brunswick (Green model)
570
0.54
£306
New Brunswick  (Green)
0.55
£314
0.57
£326
Van der Woude Revco
0.76
£434
Lab Impex Research
0.85
£487
Heraeus
691
0.93
£641
Illshun DF8517
484
1.12
£541
Kaye Sanyo  MDF-U70V 
728
1.13
£824
New Brunswick
101
1.79
£180

13. Case 2 – Better Chemical Management, Edinburgh
Tracking all chemicals through barcoded containers
Users see in-house inventory when ordering
£100,000 first year savings of chemical purchasing costs
£12,000/year savings of management/disposal costs
Fast access to chemicals
Regular chemical audits
SciQuest e-procurement links
Derek Burgess, Procurement Manager

14. Lean Lab Principles – Equipment and Resources
Making issues visible
Addressing root causes
Right sizing
Adjusting to needs
Optimal efficiency
High utilisation
Effective management & communication
Rich information

15. Leaner Cold Storage
Making issues visible, e.g. - total cost (incl space, heat load) - compromised performance - reporting/monitoring requirements
Addressing root causes, e.g. - storing unwanted samples - overly high storage temperatures - lack of ownership
Right sizing - based on actual storage needs - standardised eqt sizes/procurement

16. Leaner Cold Storage
Adjusting to needs - appropriate temperatures (storage policy) - filling/blanking empty space - modular spaces
Optimal efficiency - regular maintenance - cool locations - buying high efficiency models - chest rather than upright - larger models

17. Leaner Cold Storage
High utilisation - optimised containers & racking - central services - shelf/area allocation
Management and communication - cross-functional approach - clear responsibilities - policies (storage, procurement etc) - incentives (shared savings)
Rich information - inventory management (expiry) - individual bar coding

18. Leaner Chemicals
Making issues visible - total costs (incl storage & disposal) - waiting times - reporting/security requirements
Addressing root causes - nasty chemicals, why? - concerns about purity
Right sizing - smaller containers
Adjusting to needs - microscale experiments
Optimal efficiency

19. Leaner Chemicals High utilisation - tracking amounts & locations
Effective management & communication - policies - shared savings
Rich information - computerised database

20. Laboratory Energy Opportunities
Fabric & lighting (LED)
Wider operating parameters
Efficient/modular equipment
Low flow/alternative containment
Demand responsiveness
Free cooling/heating
High efficiency equipment
Eqt consolidation/sharing
Lay out & zoning
Storage policies/actions
Central services
Space efficient/natural write up
Building & Services
Supply
Activities
Good understanding
Effective maintenance
Monitoring/recommissioning
Right sizing
Energy awareness/incentives
Voltage optimisation/reduction
High efficiency transformers
High efficiency back up
Zero/low carbon sources
Thermal recovery/storage
Design & Management

22. Biosciences – Big Energy Users
Freezers (-20 and -80)
Controlled environmental chambers
Water baths
Incubators
Ovens
Icemakers
Hybridisers
Autoclaves
Mass spectrometers
Laser microscopes

23. Chemistry – Big Energy Users
Hotplates/heater-stirrers
Mass spectrometers
Gas chromatography
Rotary evaporators
NMRs
Ovens
Fridges
Pumps
Water baths

24. Liverpool Bioscience - Equipment
Typical peak rated power (W)
Energy use per unit (kWh/year)
Total energy use (kWh/year)
Costs (£/year)
Freezer (-20)
1,000
4380
249,660
19,973
Envtal chamber
8760
105,120
8,410
Water bath
500 – 1500
3276
101,556
8,124
Incubator
850
3723
89,352
7,148
Freezer (-80)
1,200
5256
73,584
5,887
Oven
1,500
4336.2
47,698
3,816
Ice maker
2,400
10512
31,536
2,523
Hybridiser
750
3285
19,710
1,577
Incubator-shaker
2592
18,144
1,452
Thermal Cycler (PCR)
288
9,504
760

25. Equipment Energy Varies Biological Safety Cabinet
Growth Cabinet
kWh
Annual running
Trimat 2 (Ducted)
0.44
£281.37
ESCO ACZ 4D1 (recirculating)
0.33
£211.03
Growth Cabinet
kWh
Annual Running Cost
Sanyo Fitotron
20.64
£549
Percival small
26.90
£716
Percival scientific
36.36
£968
Sanyo 2
62.0
£1,814
Conviron
92.85
£2,711

26. Data supplied by University of Newcastle
-80 Freezer Costs
Data supplied by University of Newcastle

27. -80 Freezer Costs For 725L freezer:
Energy ranged from 6,000–21,000 kWh/y
Costs ranged from ~£500 - £1800/y
Difference = £1300/y PER FREEZER!
Procure Energy Efficient Freezers
Energy Star label for Lab Grade freezers

28. Case 5 – Replacing Freezers at Newcastle
£725 litre freezer energy - 6,000–21,000 kWh/y
£180,000 of central funding to replace old models
freezers replaced, saving 131,000 kWh
7 years, at 9.5p per kWh
Reduced space, more reliable
More £ for research
Clare Rogers, Director
Estates Support Services

29. Case 4 – Improved Sample Tracking, Queen Mary
Blizard Institute Cell & Molecular Science
Combined 8 research centres, 40 liquid nitrogen dewars into centralised store
Barcode tracking & standardised containers
50% fewer samples
Easier sample retrieval
Less degradation risk
Human Tissues Act compliance easier

30. Lab Assessment Self-assessment tool for lab users (and estates)
Inspired by work of LabRATS
Building (high level) and Lab Specific Assessment templates
Lab specific assessment – 30 criteria in 9 categories
Evidence of compliance
Best practice guidance
2-3 hrs per lab

31. Lab Assessment categories
Ambient conditions & ventilation
Chemicals and materials
Cold storage
Fume cupboards
Lighting
Scientific equipment
Waste & recycling
Water
Innovation