Program Information

Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) is a voluntary program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I²SL) is a co-sponsor of the Labs21 2008 Annual Conference and workshops. Labs21 is dedicated to the pursuit of sustainable, high performance, and low-energy laboratories that will:

Minimize overall environmental impacts
Protect occupant safety
Optimize whole building efficiency on a life-cycle basis
Establish goals, track performance, and share results for continuous improvement

To reach these goals, Labs21 employs the following resources:

Labs21 Approach
Training and Education
Partners
Supporters
Tool Kit
Network

Labs21 Approach

Labs21 seeks to create environmentally sustainable laboratories by encouraging owners, operators, and designers to adopt the “Labs21 Approach.” This strategy involves taking an initial evaluation of a laboratory's energy use from a comprehensive perspective when considering efficiency improvements. This requires focusing on all of a laboratory's energy systems and wastes, including its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and electrical power supply, rather than focusing on specific energy-using components. Adopting the Labs21 Approach will encourage laboratories to make capital investment decisions based on life cycle cost savings, and pursue advanced, energy-efficient HVAC.

Training and Education

Labs21 offers training and educational opportunities, taught by industry leaders, throughout the year on sustainable laboratory design and operation. These workshops—offered at several locations throughout the country—allow members of the laboratory community to continue their education on basic and more advanced laboratory architecture, engineering, and design.

Learn more about Labs21 training and educational offerings.
Learn more about I²SL’s commitment to training and education.

Partners

Labs21 Partners are made up of a broad cross-section of the laboratory community, including universities, pharmaceutical companies, microelectronic firms, high schools, and federal agencies. These laboratory owners are actively working to adopt sustainable design practices for their facilities.

Learn more about the Labs21 Partnership Program.

Supporters

Labs21 Supporters promote sustainable laboratories and raise awareness within different industry sectors. Through this voluntary role, Supporters have the opportunity to promote innovative laboratory construction and design, while sharing their expertise with the global community.

Learn more about the Labs21 Supporter Program.

Tool Kit

The Labs21 Tool Kit is made up of various resources—including design guides, case studies, best practice guides, a performance rating system, and a video—to support the design, construction, and operation of high-performance laboratories.

Network

The Labs21 Network is an e-mail forum for the laboratory community. Join the network today to receive regular e-mail updates about Labs21 activities and resources.

For more information on Labs21 and I²SL’s involvement in the program, contact us.