Energy conservation in museums and historic buildings

The special environmental needs of museums and historic buildings can be met through methods that conserve energy as well. The research reported in this article is a result of a project undertaken to assess the energy conservation possibilities in such buildings. The irreplaceable nature of museum collections and the historic structures which often house them mandates that proper care be taken not to cause any irreversible damage in the process of saving energy. This article outlines specific heating, cooling and humidity control guidelines to follow, and recommends that all such buildings have an energy audit performed on their facilities. It also describes an energy use data base which has been compiled to show the actual energy consumption of museums.