Facilities Services works with those in Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine to service the ultra-low temperature freezers many faculty use. Learn more about our freezer upgrade program below.
Background
The School of Medicine uses over 340 ultra low temperature freezers to store samples for research. Each year, as the freezer ages, it has to work harder to achieve the desired temperature, typically ‐70 to ‐80°C. Depending on the equipment, a freezer that is 10-15 years old could use 50% more electricity than a new equivalent freezer. Newer freezers are available that carry longer warranties, use less electricity, and eject as little as a third of the waste heat in the process of keeping samples cold. Using more efficient freezers will reduce electrical consumption in addition to reducing cooling requirements in the spaces they occupy. Facilities Services would like to encourage selection of freezers with a lower life cycle cost by incentivizing selection of efficient, durable equipment.
Eligibility
A current owner of an ultralow temperature freezer of 20‐30 cubic feet looking to replace their aging freezer, or a new purchase of an additional freezer, provided the manufacturer required space is available for proper operation, are the best candidates. Smaller freezers are not currently eligible. The laboratory must be served by utilities that are paid for by CWRU (for example, CWRU SOM buildings) and the recipient of the freezer rebate should be the CWRU speedtype funding source for the freezer purchase. The primary investigator and/or lab manager should serve as the point of contact with Facilities Services.
Next Steps
A new purchase should be made under the Master Supplier Agreement established with Global Cooling, manufacturer of Stirling Ultracold. Procurement has agreed to process these invoices within 15 days to allow for a greater discount to researchers purchasing these freezers. The investigator is responsible for all costs associated with procuring, receiving, and installing the new freezer in addition to the proper disposal of an old freezer. After the freezer is received and installed, Facilities Services will verify proper installation and approve the rebate funds transfer.
Funding Information
Funds will be available on a first‐come, first‐served basis. The primary investigator obtains pre-approval to secure a future rebate. Once pre-approval has been given indicating the availability of funds, the purchaser will have three months to complete the purchase of the freezer. After the new freezer is purchased and installed and the old freezer has been decommissioned, the $3,000 rebate will be credited to the specified speedtype. Transfers will be completed within two weeks of receiving the required documentation for new freezer purchase and old freezer disposal.