Project Overview

Museums and cultural preservation facilities have historically maintained narrow temperature and relative humidity setpoints to protect collections, often resulting in exceptionally high energy use, operating costs, and carbon emissions. Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), this study evaluated the energy, cost, and emissions implications of adopting Bizot Green Protocol parameters, broader environmental ranges supported by modern preservation science, across five representative U.S. climate zones.

The research integrated field observations from eight U.S. museums with physics-based whole-building energy modeling to quantify the potential benefits of expanded temperature (61–77°F) and humidity control ranges (40–60% RH). Results directly informed the development of a user-focused decision-support dashboard for museum operators.

Our Role

• Developed and calibrated whole-building energy models (EnergyPlus) representing a prototype museum building across five U.S. climate zones (New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Chicago).

• Modeled both constant air volume (CAV) and variable air volume (VAV) HVAC configurations under base-case and Bizot-broadened environmental control scenarios.

• Conducted field site visits and operational reviews at eight U.S. museums to inform prototype assumptions and document real-world HVAC conditions and disabled efficiency measures.

Project Highlights

• CAV systems (most existing museums) achieved total energy savings of 11–25% across all climate zones, with average natural gas savings of 32% through reduced reheat and humidification demand.

• VAV systems showed consistent savings of 4–8% total energy and 34% average gas savings, demonstrating benefits even in higher-efficiency configurations.

Publication

IMLS Final Report (Revised February 2026) - Available upon request from A2 Efficiency