The UVA Office of Sustainability recently announced that the 2023 Freezer Challenge winner is the Kibbe-Tsihlis Lab. UVA’s Freezer Challenge is a part of an international initiative designed to promote best care and maintenance practices for the management of cold storage units in laboratory spaces. Led by two nonprofits – My Green Lab and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories – the initiative encourages greater energy efficiency, sample storage safety, and cost savings. Not only did the Kibbe-Tsihlis lab’s collective actions during the Freezer Challenge save 47 kWh of energy per day, but this number also almost doubles any other lab’s savings at UVA. From warming two ULT freezers from -80 °C to -70 °C to fully defrosting seven cold storage units, the entire Kibbe-Tsihlis team was invested in creating a high-performing yet sustainable research environment – proving that it’s possible to run a sustainable lab without compromising the research. Read the Article
Kibbe-Tsihlis Lab Wins UVA Office of Sustainability Freezer Challenge
February 13, 2024 by Department Website Manager