Welcome to the CU Green Labs Shared Ultra-Low Temperature Freezer Program!
Program Background 
Get Started
Freezer Locations
Rates
Expectations and Inventory Requirements
Freezer Monitoring/Alarm Systems
Decontamination Procedures & Risk Statement
Inventorying
Invoicing
Our Freezers and Temperature Set-point
Program Background
The goal of the Shared ULT Freezer Program is to establish efficiently utilized, shared ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers around the CU Boulder campus. Scientists are able to rent space in an ULT freezer instead of purchasing an entire freezer for their lab. By developing a model where ULT freezers can be shared between several different labs, this promotes equipment sharing on our campus, reduces laboratory plug loads, encourages more efficient use of freezer space, and contributes to the sustainability culture of the CU Boulder campus. CU Green Labs wishes to encourage a culture of shared lab equipment on our campus not just for the very expensive, specialized pieces of equipment but also for more general items such as incubators, centrifuges, and freezers. The fees collected from the use of our shared ULT freezers may go toward the cost of repairing the freezers or replacing the freezers at their end-of-life. Overall, the purpose of our program is to save research dollars, save researcher time, and minimize the environmental footprint of research taking place at CU Boulder. Funding was provided by Sustainable CU, Facilities Management, and the College of Arts and Sciences for the purchase of four shared ULT freezers for the campus.
See this presentation for more information: A pilot program at CU Boulder to rent space in local, shared ultra-low temperature freezers
Get Started
To get started with renting space in one of our shared ultra-low temperature freezers, contact greenlabs@colorado.edu. When you contact us, please ask us any questions you may have. If you are already decided you'd like to try our program, please include the following information in your email.
- Which Green Labs freezer you're interested in renting space in.
- Approximately how much freezer space your lab currently is looking for (for your current needs), and what dimension of space you're looking to rent (freezer boxes or bulkier items).
Freezer Locations
- 3rd Floor of the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building (JSCBB)
- 3rd Floor of Ramaley
- Wilderness Place
- 2nd floor of Porter Biosciences
- Write us to suggest where the next shared ULT freezer should go when we have funding!
Rates
All below rates have been approved by the University of Colorado Boulder Controller's Office and are applicable for all freezers in our program.
$0.25/month/2" tall freezer box
$0.37/month/3" tall freezer box
$0.20/month/liter volume of space for bulkier items
Expectations and Inventory Requirements
- Freezer space is for rent on a per-box basis or at a bulk price for oddly shaped items. Labs will be charged a monthly rate based on the inventory of boxes.
- CU Green Labs will assign space to use within the freezer. It is critical that CU Green Labs knows which freezer boxes or items belong to each laboratory sharing space in the ULT freezer.
- Please inform CU Green Labs when you need more or less space in the freezer.
- Freezer space will be rented out based on actual, current laboratory needs.
- Labs will be required to physically label their freezer boxes in shared freezers with the Rack Letter + Box Number + Lab Name
Freezer Monitoring/Alarm Systems
Freezers in the shared ULT freezer program are connected to monitors called Insight. Labs who use the shared ULT freezer will be asked to be on the contact list in the event the shared freezer they are using goes into alarm. Labs should provide Green Labs with at least two individuals that can be contacted 24/7 by these alarm systems in the event the freezer is having a temperature critical issue. Also, lab members will be the best able to make a decision regarding critical research samples if the shared freezer is failing.
Decontamination Procedures & Risk Statement
If there is an incident when a CU Green Labs shared ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer doesn’t hold temperature and your samples thaw and leak out of their primary containers, your lab will be responsible for addressing the leak, cleaning up the freezer, and properly decontaminating the freezer. Each CU Green Labs shared ULT freezer is equipped with a temperature monitoring system that will send out notifications if the freezer fails. CU Green Labs cannot be held responsible for sample loss, theft, damage, etc., and items will not be replaced or have their value refunded by CU Green Labs. Storing items in this shared ULT freezer is at your own risk. The purpose of the Shared ULT Freezer Program is to save research dollars, researcher time, and minimize the environmental footprint of research taking place at CU Boulder. At the freezer’s end of life, CU Green Labs will be responsible for final decontamination of the freezer.
Inventorying
Labs using the Green Labs shared ULT freezers will be asked to keep an inventory of their freezer contents and will be encouraged to develop an inventory down to the sample level. Periodically CU Green Labs will conduct inventories of the freezers at the box level.
Invoicing
Each lab utilizing a shared ULT freezer will be charged a monthly fee for the space rented in the Green Labs freezers. An invoice will be generated every three months by the UMC Business Office for the prior three months of space rented. The speedtype your lab has provided to Green Labs will be charged upon generation of the invoice. If you need to dispute any charges, please do so within the same fiscal year as the invoice. Green Labs may increase or decrease the frequency of invoicing due to the needs of the program.
Our Freezers and Temperature Set-Point
CU Green Labs purchases energy efficient ULT freezers and sets them at -70C. In the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building and at Wilderness Place we have PHCBI VIP Eco-Series ULT freezers purchased in 2023. In Ramaley Biology we have Stirling Ultracold SU780UE freezers that were purchased in 2016, and in Porter there is another PHCbi unit that was purchased in 2021.