The sustainability of museum energy use

“Until a decade ago, sustainability and museums were rarely spoken in the same sentence,” states architect Joyce S. Lee (FAIA, LEED Fellow) in her article Energy Star Score for Museums: You can manage what you measure.  The AIC Sustainability Committee formed ten years ago as the Green Task Force in order to provide resources regarding environmentally sustainable practices to the conservation community.  Early research topics included LED lighting refinements, revised temperature and relative humidity HVAC set standards, as well as discussions about the conservator’s role (as advocate for the collections) during capital building projects.  Collaboration with allied professionals, such as architects and engineers, has proven essential.  A new phase of assessment has begun with the Museum ENERGY STAR project, which seeks to identify energy use improvements from data provided by museums of all sizes, types, and geographic regions.  Read further on how your museum can take part. – AIC Sustainability Committee