International Laboratory Freezer Challenge
The International Laboratory Freezer Challenge is a free competition designed to promote energy efficiency through best practices in lab cold storage management. Since its inception in 2017, the program has saved a total of 76.5 million kWh (through 2024), making it a key driver of sustainable laboratory practices. This remarkable growth signals a strong and accelerating commitment within the scientific community to embrace energy efficiency and sustainability, showcasing the transformative power of small yet meaningful changes.
The Freezer Challenge at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is focused on engaging, educating, and motivating researchers, faculty, staff, and students to promote the best lab-management sample-storage practices and leadership in environmental stewardship.
The university started by participating in the 2016-2017 academic year and has been honored seven times (three first place, three “Winning Streak”, and one honorable mention) in the academic category.
2024 First Place!
In 2024, the university earned its third First Place Award in the ‘Academic’ sector with its highest ever participation rate to date. 146 research groups submitted 102 scoresheets setting a new campus record in the competition by saving 1,338 kWhs/day or 488,643 kWHs/year (a cost savings of ~$58,000).
Top Performing Labs
| U. of I. Laboratories (2024) | Energy Points* |
| 1. Julie Nguyen-Edquilang — VetMed Shared Labs (Veterinary College of Medicine) | 186.25 |
| 2. Julia Neumann — Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Laboratory (Prairie Research Institute – Illinois Natural History Survey) | 135.85 |
| 3. Lucienne Burrus — CABBI (Center for Advanced Bioengineering and Bioproducts Innovation Lab – Institute for Genomic Biology) | 119.2 |
| 4. Marissa Nyland — Marissa Nyland (Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory) | 101.1 |
| 5. Vanessa DeShambo — Lance Schideman (Illinois Sustainable Technology Center) | 86.15 |
| 6. Kristin Ellis — Kent Lab (College of ACES – NRES) | 80.4 |
| 7. Molly Black — Miller Lab (Food Science and Human Nutrition) | 80.3 |
| 8. Julie Nguyen-Edquilang — Fan Lab (Veterinary College of Medicine) | 77.9 |
| [HM] Julie Nguyen-Edquilang — Stewart Lab (Veterinary College of Medicine) | 75.85 |
| [HM] Rosie Metallo — Plant Science Greenhouse (Plant Biology) | 72.95 |
| [HM] Evan Rea — Health and Environmental Applications Laboratory (Prairie Research Institute) | 72 |
| [HM] Corey Mitchell — Yu/Mitchell Biogeochemistry Lab (Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences) | 64.1 |
Key Actions Taken
| Action Items (2024) | Impacts |
| Freezers retired | 23 |
| ULT Freezers “Chilled Up” to -70 degrees Celsius | 15 |
| Freezer units entered | 670 |
| Freezers upgraded to more efficient units | 24 |
| Freezers and refrigerators front doors brushed of frost | 196 |
| Units defrosted and cleaned coils/filters | 168 |
| Freezers with samples removed/cleaned since August | 431 |
| Room temperature sample storage (RTSS) for kits and reagents (DR + DU) | 25 |
| STD freezer boxes converted to high density boxes | 70 |
| Units where inventory tracking was created | 56 |
| Freezer units shared with labs | 228 |
| Freezers and refrigerators defrosted | 223 |
| Units with bar coded inventory | 53 |
| Number of samples discarded since August 2022 | 5,385,000 |
How the Freezer Challenge Works
From January through July, researchers filled out scorecards to earn points for implementing cold management storage best practices that improve energy efficiency, reduce costs, and protect sample integrity. Techniques being used consistently in labs across campus include:
- Regularly managing and organizing samples to avoid overcrowding and reduce the number of cold storage units needed
- Defrosting units to prevent the buildup of ice
- Washing and replacing filters as recommended by the manufacturer’s guidelines, vacuuming condenser coils, and removing any debris that potentially blocks heat exchange
- Checking doors and component seals to prevent the loss of conditioned air
- Performing regular equipment checks and scheduling preventive maintenance
- Barcoding and tracking sample inventory, utilizing room temperature storage techniques, and sharing space to increase efficiency
- Reducing overall space utilization also lowers greenhouse gas emissions
Previous Freezer Challenge Honors
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