The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories’ (I2SL’s) Labs2Zero program has launched the first-of-its-kind pilot Energy Score for lab buildings. For the first time, lab owners, managers, and consultants looking to understand how a lab building’s energy use stacks up against similar facilities can get a simple score, since ENERGY STAR and other green building programs have not traditionally included labs in their energy rating systems.
Using data entered into I2SL’s Laboratory Benchmarking Tool (LBT), the Labs2Zero Energy Score provides quantitative, normalized scores based on energy use intensity, lab size, type, occupancy, and weather. Lab energy performance is rated from 1 to 100, with 100 representing the best performance on a percentile basis. The score is calculated separately for each year of data provided and is automatically updated whenever users update their data, so users will be able to easily see how a lab building compares to past performance and other labs.
For current LBT users, the Energy Scores are already calculated in the benchmarking tool; simply log in to receive the score for each lab for which data have been entered. Those who have not yet used I2SL’s benchmarking tool can access a quick-start guide for using the LBT and email lbt@i2sl.org with any questions or feedback on the Labs2Zero Energy Score.
The Labs2Zero Energy Score is currently in a pilot phase, during which I2SL will collect additional data and feedback to improve the accuracy of the scores. For some types of lab buildings, the LBT peer group database does not yet contain adequate data, but having more users submit data during the pilot will ensure the score is useful to all lab types in the future. If you have feedback on your scores or the process for using the LBT to access them, please email lbt@i2sl.org.
Lab owners/operators and consultants that commit to enter data annually into the LBT also qualify to become voluntary Labs2Zero partners and receive recognition as leaders in lab decarbonization. Read more about Labs2Zero partnership here.