Laboratory space is one of the biggest energy users on campus. A little planning and some simple modifications can make a significant difference in the energy costs associated with your lab. Often a safely run lab and an efficient lab go hand in hand. For example, proper use of your fume hood is not only important for safe experimentation, but it reduces energy costs at the same time. Take a little time to go through this checklist and think about each item carefully. Afterwards, take the time to implement the changes that apply to your lab.

1. Do you keep your lab door shut?
   1. Laboratory doors are often fire doors and should remain shut for safety reasons.
2. Which pieces of equipment within your lab are “on” or plugged in 24/7?
3. Look at each piece of equipment. Can any of them be turned off without damage or loss of calibration?
4. Can timers be used to start/stop equipment that does not need to continuously run? Good examples
   include a water bath or heater.
5. Can you share water baths or other equipment with other labs?
6. Do you have equipment that can be turned off at night?
   1. Consider using a power strip to make it easy to turn off multiple items or hard-to-reach items at once.
7. Have you been shown the correct way to operate your specific model of fume hood?
8. Is the annually reviewed safe operating position clearly marked on your fume hood? If not, contact
   Environmental Health and Safety.
9. Are chemicals and/or objects stored in your fume hood?
10. Do you organize samples in freezers or incubators so the ones you use most are easy to grab and clearly
    labeled so you can pack and unpack quickly?
11. Do you know the defrost schedule for your ultra-low freezers?
12. Can you chill rotors in a cooler rather than using the ultra-centrifuge if you don’t always need them to
    be cool?
13. Do you have a defined process or checklist for shutting down your lab at the end of the day?