Ultra-low-temperature freezers (ULTFs) are an essential part of biological and medical research, but consume large amounts of energy. The School of Biosciences at the University of Sheffield has a fleet of approximately 80 ULTFs, which were operating at −80 °C until 2024, and contribute significantly to the School’s electricity consumption—around 1300 kW h/d in early 2024, with correspondingly high electricity costs and carbon footprint. We therefore set out to manage the use of our ULTFs more effectively, while reducing risk to research, through a combination of extensive consultation with users, improved management, and increasing the set temperature to −70 °C. We have implemented a policy of consolidating and rolling out replacements for freezers, based on energy usage rather than age. Based on a pilot programme that achieved a 62% reduction in energy, we expect to reduce energy consumption by at least 50% and simultaneously save money while also mitigating risks to research, benefiting both the School and the University. This study provides details on how these results were achieved.
George et al. (Tue,) studied this question.