Energy Consumption of the Agilent 1260 Infinity III Prime LC System

Importance of the Topic

Energy consumption of modern liquid chromatography systems represents a significant operational cost and environmental footprint for analytical laboratories. Evaluating and optimizing power usage across different operational states enables more sustainable workflows, reduces utility expenses, and promotes responsible resource management while maintaining analytical performance.

Goals and Study Overview

This study compared the energy demands of the Agilent 1260 Infinity III Prime LC System equipped with the InfinityLab Assist module against a Waters Alliance iS HPLC System. Energy usage was recorded during three typical daily states—Idle, Ready, and Run—to simulate real‐world laboratory operation over an eight‐hour workday as well as extended high‐throughput scenarios.

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

Power measurements were performed using a CLM 221 power meter and an ALMEMO 2590 data logger at 23 ± 2 °C. Both LC platforms were operated with identical chromatographic conditions and hardware configured as follows:

• Agilent 1260 Infinity III Prime LC modules: InfinityLab Assist Interface and Hub, Flexible Pump, Vialsampler, Multicolumn Thermostat, Diode Array Detector HS
• Waters Alliance iS HPLC modules: ACQUITY Quaternary Solvent Manager, Sample Manager with Flow-Through Needle, Column Heater, Tunable UV Detector
• Column: C18, 2.1 × 50 mm, 1.8 µm
• Software: Agilent OpenLab CDS 2.7; Waters Empower 3.8
• Solvent system: Water/acetonitrile gradient at 0.9 mL/min

Main Results and Discussion

Hourly energy consumption (kJ) measured for each state:

• Agilent system: Idle 598, Ready 821, Run 785
• Waters system: Idle 967, Ready 1282, Run 1283

The Agilent platform consistently consumed 370–500 kJ less per hour than the competitor. Extrapolated daily energy use for 8 hours of Run, 2 hours of Ready, and 14 hours of Idle operation:

• Agilent: 4.5 kWh/day
• Waters: 7.3 kWh/day

Under a high‐throughput scenario with 16 hours of sample analysis:

• Agilent: 4.9 kWh/day
• Waters: 8.0 kWh/day

Energy per sample (assuming 96 injections on Agilent and 92 on Waters):

• 8 h: Agilent 170 kJ/sample; Waters 287 kJ/sample
• 16 h: Agilent 93 kJ/sample; Waters 155 kJ/sample

Benefits and Practical Applications

The Agilent system’s lower power requirements translate into direct cost savings and reduced carbon footprint. The InfinityLab Assist module automates startup/shutdown procedures, guides maintenance, and shortens troubleshooting, maximizing uptime and consistent analytical throughput.

Future Trends and Applications

Advancements in chromatographic automation and digital integration will further optimize energy use. Predictive maintenance powered by machine learning, remote monitoring, and adaptive control algorithms are poised to reduce idle times and dynamically adjust operational parameters for maximum efficiency.

Conclusion

The Agilent 1260 Infinity III Prime LC System with InfinityLab Assist demonstrated significantly lower energy consumption across all operational states compared to the Waters Alliance iS HPLC. Energy per day and per sample was up to 40% lower, highlighting the system’s suitability for sustainable, high‐throughput laboratories. Automated workflows further enhance efficiency and reliability.

References

• Agilent Technologies. The Agilent InfinityLab Assist: A Local User Interface to Control and Automate Your HPLC System. White paper, publication 5994-7572EN, 2024.
• Agilent Technologies. Do You Know the Environmental Impact of Your HPLC? Energy Consumption of Four InfinityLab LC Systems During Routine Operation. Technical overview, publication 5994-2335EN, 2022.
• Agilent Technologies. Comparing the Energy Consumption of Different UHPLC Systems. Technical overview, publication 5994-6214EN, 2023.