🌍 Small changes, real climate impact!

The Westmead Institute for Medical Research is proud to currently be participating in the #InternationalFreezerChallenge - and the results speak for themselves. By adjusting the set-point temperature of 12 ultra-low temperature (-80°C) freezers, we’ve achieved:
• 96 kWh of electricity saved every day
• That’s roughly the daily energy use of ~6 average Australian households
• ~35 MWh saved each year

When you apply Australia’s average grid emissions factor (~0.6 kg CO₂-e per kWh), that equates to:
• ~21 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided annually
• Comparable to taking 4–5 passenger vehicles off the road each year, or
• The carbon benefit of hundreds of trees growing for a decade

And it’s not just an environmental win - it’s a financial one too, resulting in ~$10,500 saved per year in energy costs (at ~30c/kWh)!

What we love about this initiative is its simplicity. No new infrastructure. No compromise to research quality. Evidence-based operational decisions that bring longer lifespans to critical equipment, while being good for people and planet. Science has always been about improving the future. This is one small way we can make sure we’re doing that responsibly.