Labs2Zero: Decarbonizing the World's Labs

2023 set records as the hottest year in modern history, underscoring the urgent need for climate action. In response to the considerable emissions generated by laboratories, I2SL launched the Labs2Zero initiative in 2022. This initiative aims to accelerate the decarbonization of the world’s laboratory facilities.

This presentation will introduce the comprehensive Labs2Zero program, whose components will include the Energy and Emissions Performance Scorecard and an automated report generator designed to propose strategies for reducing energy usage and carbon emissions in both new and existing lab buildings. The program will also offer score certification as well as training and accreditation.

With the support of over 30 sponsors and the collaboration of more than 100 Technical Advisory Council volunteers, I2SL has begun to roll out these program features. A pilot energy score was released last fall, and several new tools were released in May 2024. These include a location-based operational emissions score and a first-of-its-kind tool for benchmarking embodied carbon in laboratory buildings. We will describe these new features in detail, and then look ahead to the future of the program. 

About the Speaker:

Alison Farmer is a former research astrophysicist who is dedicated to saving our home planet by bringing energy efficiency and decarbonization to lab buildings. Alison has worked in both consulting and lab owner's roles and serves as Secretary of the I2SL Board of Directors and Program Director of the Labs2Zero program. She is a Past President of the Northern California chapter, was a 2018 recipient of the I2SL Go Beyond Award, and has led I2SL’s laboratory benchmarking efforts since 2014. Alison is a graduate of the University of Cambridge in England and the California Institute of Technology in the US. 

Annual Conference Recap + Social

At this event, we saw some of the most popular presentations from the 2023 I2SL National Conference, networked with fellow sustainability leaders, and learned about The Alexandria at San Carlos's sustainable facility.

Panels:

Adaptive Reuse: A Viable, Practical and Sustainable Solution to Meet Sky-Rocketing Demand for Lab Space

Panelist: Emily English, Director of Sustainability at BNBuilders

The biotech revolution is booming, driving demand for life sciences R&D space off the charts. Lab space scarcity is propelling construction, but global supply interruptions have driven lead times for materials and equipment to double and even triple, challenging speed to market. At the same time, C-suites face mounting pressure to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. This session will make the case for looking to adaptive reuse of existing building stock as a solution to all of these issues. By considering the existing infrastructure onsite and asking what we can reuse, our project’s owner, architect and contractor team saved dollars, shaved time off the construction schedule, and achieved an embodied carbon win. Additionally, the client had LEED aspirations that were initially challenged due to intense energy use of the labs. Reuse of large sections of the envelope, roof structure and flooring, plus salvage of furniture and lab equipment, allowed us to earn multiple Materials & Resources credits, offsetting the lack of points available in Optimized Energy Performance, in order to achieve certification.

Decarbonizing Labs—A Case Study

Panelist: Brad C. Cochran, PE, Principal, CPP Wind Engineering Consultants

As codes, regulations, and owner goals push projects to shift from fossil fuel use toward all electric designs, projects need to consider new applications for existing technologies.  In this session, we will look at innovative heat pump and heat recovery applications for laboratory buildings. A case study will be presented of a Boston based lab building utilizing exhaust source heat pumps. Real world application and associated energy and carbon savings will be shared. 

GHG Inventory: A How-to Guide for Laboratories

Panelists: 

Grace Olupinyo, Decarbonization and Sustainability Specialist at Mazetti 

Terry Stelter, Principal & National Life Sciences Sector Leader at Mazzetti

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity.” The built environment accounts for around 40% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Translation--as building planners/designers/owners, we have both a responsibility and opportunity to both mitigate the impact of existing buildings and ensure new construction is carbon neutral. And, we know laboratory buildings are particularly challenging to decarbonize, given specific ventilation and exhaust, heating/cooling requirements, water usage, etc. How do we do it? The first step is to measure carbon footprint by completing a GHG inventory. This session will step through the measuring process, using real, timely examples from various healthcare and health sciences projects. A good inventory illustrates the information an organization needs to benchmark its impact, make an educated commitment, set achievable goals, and prioritize reduction efforts for greatest impact. Informed by the globally accepted GHG Protocol as a foundation, this session will address an overview of a lab-specific process, identifying the data to collect, how to most accurately and efficiently collect it (both the first time and annually thereafter). We will address the different tiers of “eligible” data, depending on what is available, i.e., fleet vehicle miles vs gallons of fuel purchased or supply chain items purchased vs overall spending cost.

Constructing the Sciences: Careers in Lab Construction, Architecture, and Engineering

Highlighting the different roles within the science and technology construction industry, the panelists discussed their current roles, how they got there, and what the future holds for their respective markets. This event targeted university students, emerging professionals, or people aspiring to a career switch in the laboratory construction industry.

Speakers:

Zeid Arnaout

Design Manager, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Zeid Arnaout is the Design Manager at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, overseeing all technical aspects of designing and executing two groundbreaking facilities. With over a decade of experience in the building and construction industry, he is passionate about delivering high-performance and highly reliable buildings which has included over 13 net zero buildings. Zeid holds a Mechanical PE and studied Architectural Engineering Design at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Ivan Hu

Sr. Job Captain, Designer III, FPBA

Ivan Hu graduated BA in Architecture - NewSchool of Architecture and Design (Summa Cum Laude) and received his M.Arch - NewSchool of Architecture and Design (High Distinction) in 2019. He has worked for 6 years in the industry, ranging from multi-family residential, public, higher and lower education, commercial, and life-science projects. He has been with Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects for 4 years, working on multiple Tenant Improvement and Core and Shell projects for numerous research and development laboratory and manufacturing facilities in Southern California, from preliminary design to project completion.

James Ramage

Sr. Mechanical Designer, Mazzetti

James is a Senior Mechanical/Sustainability Consultant with 17 years of experience in the field of mechanical HVAC design and commissioning, environmentally sustainable building design and energy modelling. He currently focuses on the energy modeling and Commissioning of both Hospitals and Data Centers. He has extensive experience using the IES program for energy modeling. James is a certified commissioning professional (CCP) who studied mechanical engineering at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Richard Wu

Project Engineer, Dome Construction

Born and raised in the Bay Area and I lived here my entire life. I graduated from UC Davis with a Managerial Economics degree. I don’t have that formal Construction Management degree that a lot of people now gravitate toward if they want to be in the construction industry. I've been in the industry two and a half years trying to absorb what I can from the PMs, Foreman, and Superintendents.

I2SL Annual Conference & Technology Fair

The world’s premiere lab sustainability conference was in California October 2023! Attendees heard from and networked with lab owners, operators, designers, engineers, builders, and sustainability managers who discussed topics such as sustainable design, system optimization, green labs, net zero facilities, lab decarbonization, and much more. They toured campuses of lab efficiency in action and a variety of Technology and Services Fair exhibitors showcased the latest products and services to meet sustainable laboratory needs.

Emerging Professionals Lab Design 101 

3-Part Series
Part 1: April 19, 2023

Speaker: Amanda Schultz, Executive Vice President, FBPA

Part 2: May 31, 2023

Speaker: James Woods, Associate Principal, Mazetti

Part 3: June 28, 2023

Speaker: Chris Weyandt, Control Systems Engineer, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

This seminar was geared toward emerging professionals already in the field who would like to have a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of lab design, or university students thinking of expanding their opportunities by learning more about the field.

2022 Annual Conference Recap + Social

Top Bay Area laboratory leaders shared their presentations from the national I2SL Conference, which was held in Pittsburgh, PA in October 2022. 

Allogene Therapeutics Tour

I2SL NorCal hosted an exciting all-electric lab tour and panel discussion at Allogene Therapeutics. The event featured simultaneous facility tours and networking with appetizers and drinks, followed by a panel discussion about the sustainable features of the facility.

Panelists: 

• Ben Beneski Vice President, Manufacturing Site Head at Allogene Therapeutics

• Charles Doan, Sr. Director EHS & Security at Allogene Therapeutics

• George Scott, Senior Director Facilities and Engineering at Allogene Therapeutics, Cell Forge One

• Tyler Tsang, Senior Director of Quality Control at Allogene Therapeutics

• Jeff Wegner Energy + Sustainability SME, Associate at CRB

More About Allogene Therapeutics

Allogene Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T cell (AlloCAR T™) products for cancer. Led by a management team with significant experience in cell therapy, Allogene is developing a pipeline of “off-the-shelf” CAR T cell candidates with the goal of delivering readily available cell therapy on-demand, more reliably, and at greater scale to more patients.

I2SL NorCal: Bringing smart labs to California

I2SL NorCal hosted a discussion about the Smart Labs process, which optimizes lab safety and regularly achieves whole building energy saving of 20-40%.

Panelists: 

• Alison Farmer, Director, KW Engineering 

• Deirdre Carter, Energy & Sustainability Manager, LBNL

• Karla Arredondo, Ventilation, HEPA and Robotics Program Manager, LBNL

• Allen Doyle, Safety & Sustainability Specialist, 3Flow

• Wendell Brase, Associate Chancellor for Sustainability, UC Irvine

VIEW Recording of Presentation 

I2SL NorCal and I2SL New England Hosted the MiT NANO Center Virtual Tour & Panel

Panelists: 

• Travis Wanat, Sr. Project Manager, MIT - Capital Projects Group

• Scott Lebow, Sr. Project Manager, HGA Architects & Engineers

• Marcell Graeff, Sustainability Lead, HGA Architects & Engineers

• Jacob Knowles, Director of Sustainable Design, BR+A

I2SL NorCal annual conference recap

Presentations: 

• Electrification and Decarbonization of Research Facilities presented by John McDonald of Smithgroup (20-25 min)

• What a Difference FDD Makes (at Stanford) presented by Alison Farmer of KW Engineering and Leslie Kramer of Stanford University (20-25 min)

• California Mandatory Regulation for Fume Hood Sash Closers and Exhaust Contaminant Measures presented by Victor Neuman of Laboratory Exhaust Certification

2020 Virtual I2SL Annual Conference

The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) hosted its 2020 Annual Conference and Technology Fair Virtually! 

Presentations included lab owners, operators, designers, and engineers discussing the most pressing safety and sustainability topics affecting labs during COVID-19 and in the future. 

ASHRAE and I2SL NorCal Presented: Lab Considerations Through a Pandemic

Panelists:

1. • Lyn Gomes, MEP Coordinator at DPR Construction

   • James Falconer, M.E., Principal at Affiliated Engineers, Inc.

   • Todd See, PE, LEED BD+C, Principal at WSP

   • Michele Sagehorn, CEM, LEED AP, Principal - Commissioning Authority at Red Car Analytics 

   • Martin Gicklehorn, Principal/Lab Planner/President at GL Planning

Topics:

1. • Current challenges related to HVAC systems during a pandemic

   • Production vs. safety when bringing employees back into the laboratory

   • Sustainability and energy consumption

My Green Lab

Guest speakers from My Green Lab covered the topic of sustainability in scientific research.

Guest speakers included James Connelly and Rachel Ralph. They discussed trends in sustainability and biotech, how to achieve Green Lab Certification, and other benefits of going green with your lab. 

Webinar Content and Attachments

Town Hall Webinar

COVID-19 changed the way laboratories operate, from academic institutions to research and development protocols. To continue this important conversation as labs consider reopening and retooling for the future, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) hosted its second free town hall on the topic, COVID-19 Challenges and Successes for Designing and Operating Safe and Sustainable Labs.  

A panel of experts from university and pharmaceutical laboratories on the East and West Coast addressed the top questions facing lab owners, operators, engineers, and designers today as we learned to adapt to COVID-19 concerns: 

• Successes/challenges surrounding social distancing in labs, common areas such as elevators, or non-lab buildings,

• How the pandemic is challenging lab design requirements, new and retrofit, from both a safety and sustainability angle.

• How you can prioritize sustainability when addressing air quality/exchanges to keep labs safer and still energy-efficient. 

The I2SL Northern California and New England Chapters co-hosted this town hall with the generous support of local sponsors and in conjunction with the California Life Sciences Association (CLSA) and the San Francisco Chapter of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). This town hall is the second in a series of events I2SL provided to discuss lessons learned about safe and sustainable lab stoppage and start-up; watch the first one, Returning to the Operational Laboratory Environment During COVID-19, which is free to the public. 

Cal/OSHA Fumehood Requirements and What Can Be Done About Them

Hosted by: I2SL NorCal / ISPE SF

Cal OSHA requires that fumehood face velocity be maintained at 100 feet per minute. While it’s not necessarily true that 100 FPM is any safer than a lower face velocity, it’s also not necessarily true that a lower face velocity saves you energy. This session looked at:

• How we specify and operate fumehoods in order to reduce our energy consumption while still maintaining safety

• Is it worth seeking a variance for a lower face velocity?

• Should we be looking to lobby for changing this regulation? 

Lab Tour/Talk

AstraZeneca’s New Oyster Point Facility

After the tour, guests met in a conference room at AstraZeneca for appetizers, drinks, and networking, followed by a panel of lab experts who spoke about the sustainable strategies they used to build and run AstraZeneca & sustainable practices their companies implement on similar buildings.

Sustainable Labs Mixer 

At DPR in San Francisco, fellow sustainable lab enthusiasts networked and discussed the latest in sustainable lab design, construction, and operation.

Special Guest,  Ron Silberstein, Owner & Brewmaster at ThirstyBear provided complimentary beer tastings and gave an interesting presentation on the process of beer making and sustainable practices in their business. ThirstyBear is the first and only brewery in San Francisco to brew certified organic beer and become a certified Green Business!

Genentech Sustainability Meeting

The event included a tour of Genentech's pilot plant as well as an overview of sustainable lab practices presented by Kristi Budzinski (Genentech Green Chemistry/BioPharma Program Manager). 

The discussion also included strategies to Implement the Roche Directive K6 to eliminate all CFCs HCFCs, and HFCs and other chemicals that are harmful to the environment at Genentech presented by Cassie Waddell (Genentech Principal Engineer) and Mark Kehoe (Affiliated Engineers Project Manager).

Joint Local ASHRAE/I2SL Meeting

This meeting covered Designing Safe and Energy Efficient Laboratory Exhaust Systems under the 2019 California Title 24 Regulations, presented by Brad Cochran.

2018 I2SL Annual Conference Recap

Three top Bay Area laboratory leaders shared their presentations from the conference, which was held in Raleigh, North Carolina in October. We learned about the upcoming new I2SL/DOE lab benchmarking tool, the latest in green lab certifications and sustainable procurement, and the mechanical design of an outstanding new, modern laboratory facility. The future of sustainable labs has never looked so great.