General data on lab energy consumption
Labs vs. offices: Labs consume 5-10 times more energy than office spaces.
Fume hoods: A single fume hood can use as much energy as a household.
Cold storage: A small water bath can consume as much energy as a dishwasher every hour. An ultra-freezer (-80ºC freezer) consume as much energy as 1 household a day.
Plug loads/equipment plugged into walls: Accounts for 20-25% of used energy in the lab.
Heat blocks: Heat blocks can use as much energy as a 50” TV/hour.
Water: It costs 7.5 L water/min when a faucet is open. Autoclaves can use as much as 228 liters of water per cycle. And if your autoclave is >10 years old, chances are it uses up to 342 liters per cycle.
Plastic waste: In 2015 academic research lab produced 5.5 million tons plastic waste worldwide. In comparison, this is about 400 times more than the combined amount plastic waste coming from all households in Denmark in 2015.