Performance and sustainability are crucial considerations in cold storage equipment. They’re also some of the most frequently listed features and benefits of laboratory refrigerators, freezers, ultra-low freezers, and other cold storage solutions. So how then can you truly compare and evaluate these claims from one manufacturer to another?

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Performance Considerations for Laboratory Cold Storage

What defines high performance? The concept of performance is multifaceted and can vary significantly based on your specific cold storage needs and your facility. When evaluating manufacturer claims regarding the performance of a laboratory freezer, refrigerator, or ULT, there are some important measurements to consider. Regardless of the temperature range needed for your application, any cold storage solution you consider should be designed and tested to verify precise temperature set points with tight uniformity throughout the entire chamber.

FARRAR® Lab Grade Refrigerators, Freezers, and FARRAR ULT are designed to deliver superior temperature performance across three key areas – chamber uniformity, reliability, and temperature recovery – while supporting sustainability goals.

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Top 3 Laboratory Cold Storage Equipment Sustainability Attributes

Sustainability is more than just a buzzword. It’s a company’s long-term commitment to social, environmental, and civil responsibilities that will improve not only our impact on the world in which we live but also our health. Whether in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry, academic research sector, or drug discovery and logistics applications segments, a company’s sustainability goals can impact every aspect of a laboratory or facility.

Sustainability is more than just reducing energy consumption - Truly sustainable cold storage equipment is designed to help facilities meet sustainability goals throughout the unit’s entire lifecycle.

1. Verified Reliability Through Accelerated Life Testing

Regardless of the bells and whistles, the reality is that your cold storage equipment is only required to do one thing – work. So how long do typical laboratory refrigerators and freezers last? What happens to them when they are discarded? When considering sustainability goals for your lab, it’s important to consider the typical life expectancy of the equipment you invest in and the resulting global environmental impact.

Particularly when new products are launched, understanding the long-term performance reliability can be a guessing game. Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) is a process that deliberately speeds up failures to measure the equipment's lifespan under typical usage conditions. Why is Accelerated Life Testing important? Not only does ALT help ensure that your precious stored materials and samples are safe by verifying equipment reliability, it also helps verify that your facility’s waste contribution is kept low. Longer-lasting equipment means fewer discarded units in landfills, helping to support the circular economy.

FARRAR Lab Grade Solutions and ULT Freezer have undergone detailed Accelerated Life Testing to confirm a 10-year lifespan. These laboratory cold storage solutions are manufactured in an ISO 13485:2016 certified, FDA-registered facility in full compliance with FDA 21CFR Part 820 (GMP).

2. Carbon Footprint Conscious

Decreasing your carbon footprint is crucial to lessening the impact of worldwide climate change, enhancing public well-being, stimulating the global economy, and preserving biodiversity. By reducing carbon emissions, we contribute to a cleaner environment for ourselves and future generations, helping to ensure cleaner air, water, and food. Laboratories and other facilities can help decrease their carbon footprint by selecting laboratory refrigerators, freezers, and ultra-low temperature freezers that rely on natural hydrocarbon refrigerants that are SNAP/EU F-gas-compliant and have a low global warming potential (GWP).

FARRAR Lab Grade Refrigerators and Freezers and the ULT help decrease carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency by utilizing SNAP/EU-compliant refrigerants including R290 and R600a.

3. Energy Efficiency

It’s no secret that laboratories use substantially more energy than offices or corporations of similar sizes. Within the lab, cold storage equipment is notorious for being a huge contributor to energy usage. By decreasing energy consumption, facilities save money, enhance energy reliability, and decrease the amount of pollution released from non-renewable energy sources. The introduction of ENERGY STAR® Certification for laboratory equipment has made it easier to ensure the energy efficiency of refrigerators, freezers, and ultra-low temperature freezers.

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FARRAR Laboratory Upright and Undercounter Freezer and Refrigerator Equipment

These cold storage solutions are workhorses for life science applications and are designed to be highly reliable with forced air convection and excess cooling capacity. The units provide tight temperature control helping to prevent temperature excursions from door openings. Simple displays ease validation requirements, and configurable storage solutions provide flexibility no matter what product or substance is being stored.

Laboratory Cold Storage Features and Benefits:

     • High-quality and reliability verified by ALT

     • World-class temperature performance

     • Tight temperature uniformity

     • Designed to meet ENERGY STAR® standards for energy efficiency

     • SNAP/EU F-gas-compliant low global warming potential (GWP) natural hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants to support sustainability

     • Ultra-quiet operation 46dB - 52d for productive office/lab environments

     • Auto defrost without temperature excursion risk

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Lab Grade Refrigerators (+2°C to +10°C with +/-1°C uniformity) | Lab Grade Freezers (-15°C to -30°C with <+/-2°C uniformity)

Choose between ENERGY STAR® Certified upright and undercounter models. The industry-leading energy efficiency is achieved using a variable capacity compressor and a natural hydrocarbon refrigerant that have a low potential for contributing to global warming. Additionally, FARRAR Lab Grade Refrigerators operate at a noise level of only 42dB - 52dB, and freezers between 46dB - 52dB, making them extremely quiet.

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FARRAR ULT Freezer (-50°C to -86°C with +/-5°C uniformity)

The FARRAR ULT Freezer has a broad temperature range and includes a convenient Smart Access Panel and electronic door lock with a PIN for efficient and secure sample management. To reduce the negative environmental effects and help laboratories meet sustainability objectives, the FARRAR ULT combines variable-capacity compressors and low GWP natural hydrocarbon refrigerants to deliver energy efficiency with uncompromised cooling performance.

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From standard laboratory refrigerator and freezer models to ultra-low temperature freezers, FARRAR offers a purpose-built portfolio of high-performing and sustainable cold storage solutions for life science applications.