Green Labs

Science buildings are the greatest users of energy on campus. The South Science Building and Shrum Chemistry Centre are some of the single highest energy consumers.

To support the work on building retrofits done through the BC Hydro Continuous Optimization program which aims to reduce energy use in buildings, a pilot green labs program was launched in in the South Sciences Building in 2010. In 2011, Shrum Chemistry was brought on board after its newly completed LEED Gold certified renovations.

The program works with an overall goal of "helping to achieve the Sustainability Advisory Committee's 5-year goal of reducing total energy use by 2% per year." The total value of energy savings for both buildings is expected to reach $25,000 per year.

The key purpose of the Green Labs Program is to raise awareness among building occupants in order to help achieve the goal of 2% reduction in energy consumption. Some objectives of the Green Labs program are:

• Creating Energy Committees for each building comprised of students, faculty, and staff from the building, as well as representatives from Facilities Services and SFU Sustainability.
• Creating a single mail list for the building's permanent occupants for easy communication on sustainability initiatives.
• Ensuring energy conservation is part of the orientation process for new science students, instructors, and lab technicians.
• Where appropriate, review and revise employee job descriptions and standard operating procedures to include energy management (e.g., cleaning staff, security staff, purchasing RFPs, etc.).
• Developing communication materials for energy conservation training and communication.
• Identifying leaders in each building and providing them with tools to assist them in spreading energy saving efforts throughout the building. Creating Energy Committees for each building comprised of students, faculty, and staff from the building, as well as representatives from Facilities Services and SFU Sustainability.

To see how much energy is being consumed at this very moment, check out SFU's Energy Dashboard.

For tips on sustainable practices and ways thaty ou can help save energy in science labs at SFU, see our full-length Green Labs Guide.

South Science Building

South Science Building is one of the highest users of energy on campus.

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