Energy Management in Museums
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IAR Journal of Engineering and Technology ISSN Print : 2708-5155 | ISSN Online : 2708-5163 Frequency : Bi-Monthly Language : English Origin : Kenya Website : https://www.iarconsortium.org/journal-info/IARJET Energy Management in Museums: A New Approach to Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals Article History Abstract: Museums are the most energy-intensive than other buildings. It is found that museum buildings present high energy demand for air-conditioning Received: 29. 12.2020 due to their architectonical and structural characteristics, such as the presence of Revision: 02. 01.2021 large exhibition rooms and open spaces. At the same time temperature and Accepted: 18.01.2021 humidity have to be strictly controlled to assure proper micro-climate conditions Published: 30.01.2021 for the conservation of the housed collections and adequate thermal comfort for Author Details visitors and personnel. Climate control, lighting and security are some of the Fatma Faheem*and Abduraheem K crucial factors that play into the effectiveness and success of a museum. Caring about the environment is a natural extension of museum‟s primary role of Authors Affiliations management for their collections. It would be perverse to preserve evidence of the Department of Museology, Aligarh Muslim natural world and human society without regard to the protection of the wider University, Aligarh – 202002, India environment. The issue of environmentalism does provide an opportunity for Corresponding Author* museums to embrace the current fight against climate change with open arms. Fatma Faheem „Design‟, „Build‟, „Operate Green‟ seems to be more important now than ever before. Consequently, the museum stewards across the globe are „rethinking‟ the How to Cite the Article: infrastructure, energy conservation, waste management, and much more to reduce Faheem, F. & Abduraheem, K (2021). their impact and ensure the global heritage and culture to be well preserved for the Energy Management in Museums: A New generations to come. The objective of paper is about the effective energy Approach to Implementing the Sustainable management in museums and cultural institutions and the varied methods and Development Goals.IAR J Eng Tech, 2(1),46 - tools that can be adopt, to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDG). 49. Keywords: Climate change; Energy conservation; Energy-intensive; Energy management; Micro-climate; Sustainable development goal; Waste management. INTRODUCTION If we look around the world, the residential, public and commercial buildings consume an estimated 1/3rd of global energy, which is used to heat, cool, light, and ventilate the structures we use every day. As more people move to cities and the developing world continues to modernize, energy consumption is only expected to increase. It is estimated that 70% of the world‟s population will be living in urban areas by 2050. Because of this reality, we need to find an innovative method to preserve limited resources such as water, energy, food, and land. Therefore, we need to „rethink‟ how energy is supplied and used within cities and buildings so that we can become less dependent on „coal-fired power plants‟, which significantly increases „Greenhouse gas‟ (GHG) emissions and contributes to the effects of climate change (Peter, C. 2012). We have a narrow window of opportunity to ensure buildings are well-designed, with quality construction and optimization for energy efficiency. As mentioned above that buildings should be „well-designed‟, which doesn‟t mean architecture should be simply pleasing to the eye or a design that functions well, though both of these things are important. A well-designed building that is focused on energy efficiency must take into account such factors as, „the surrounding climate‟, „the orientation of the building‟, and „the behaviors of its inhabitants‟. Considerations such as energy saving-lighting, heating, cooling, and ventilation are pivotal during the building‟s design phase (Bruce, I. 2015). But unfortunately, museums buildings are simply not built this way, tearing down an inefficient museum building is more expensive, and excessively more wasteful, than retrofitting it to make it more energy-efficient (Sala, M. 2007). In fact, many people have the miscomprehension that it takes a considerable investment to improve the efficiency and sustainability of existing museum buildings. This is simply not true. Replacing inefficient lighting with „LED lights‟ or replacing single-paned windows with more efficient „double or triple-glazed window systems' are just two examples of relatively simple upgrades that save significant utility costs (Lohia, S., & Dixit, S. 2015). 46 Faheem, F. & Abduraheem, K; IAR J Eng Tech; Vol-2, Iss- 1 (Jan-Feb, 2021):46-49 Museums are the most energy-intensive than other Initiatives of International communities on energy buildings efficiency and sustainable development goals in Museums represent an interesting case in the field of museum sectors energy efficiency among monumental buildings within There are great opportunities to bring the world‟s the context of sustainable development and climate museum community together to work in the same change mitigation measures. Museum buildings present direction toward climate goals. Recognizing this issue, high energy demand for air-conditioning due to their the ICOM (International Council of Museums) architectonical and structural characteristics, such as the unanimously adopted a resolution asserting that all presence of large exhibition rooms and open spaces. At museums have a role to play in shaping and creating a the same time, temperature and humidity have to be sustainable future (Resolutions adopted by the 34th strictly controlled in order to assure proper micro- General Assembly of ICOM, September 7, 2019; Lee, J. climate conditions for the conservation of the housed 2019; & Garthe, C. 2020). collections and adequate thermal comfort for visitors and personnel (Mueller, H. F. 2013; & Lucchi, E. The Bizot Group (a group of the world's leading 2018). museums) agreed to the Bizot Green Protocol in 2015. NMDC (National Museum Director‟s Council) UK, Effective ways to be energy-efficient within the adopted these standards and recognizes that museums museum sectors need to approach long-term collections to care in a way Energy efficiency along with waste reduction is a that does not require excessive use of energy, whilst key priority. Using limited materials means using less recognizing their duty of care to collections energy, and to follow this, a famous mantra has arisen, (Environmental sustainability). to be implemented in this order – „Rethink‟, „Refuse‟, „Reduce‟, „Reuse‟, „Refurbish‟, „Repair‟, „Repurpose‟, Museums make a difference in fighting climate and „Recycle‟. Used as a checklist of priorities to all change areas where the improvement is needed rather than At this point it is not enough for museums and using very brief statements (Sharanya, B. K. 2018). heritage centers to just „fill in as landmarks‟ to the The Museums Association (UK) has produced „safeguarding‟, but also they should startup focus on the a “Sustainability Checklist”, that urge museums to „conservation‟. As climate change imprudently rears its build sustainability into their long term plans and day to ugly head, major institutions have a new responsibility day operations. They are as follow:- of consciousness when it comes to their impact on the Lights, unnecessary computers, printers, and environment (English Heritage, Climate Change, 7; A. laboratory equipment should be turned off Collete). overnight and when not in use during the day. Replace dead light bulbs with energy-efficient Like businesses, shops, organizations, and of course alternatives in needed places. private individuals, museums also have a duty to All printers should be default set to print on both operate in a more „eco-conscious‟ manner. As seen in sides of the paper. the „LEED‟ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Institution should regularly conduct an energy Design) project database, about 150 museums around audit. the world have earned LEED green building Rinsing treatments should be revised to assess certification. Approximately 300 more have registered water flow, duration, and potential for reuse of to go green. This is quite a feat for a complex building rinse water. type. There are growing numbers of „LEED-certified‟ Temperature settings should accord to human museums around the world. This list includes projects comfort. in the United States, Canada, Greece, China, Korea, Environmental standards for collections should be Brazil, Turkey, Palestine, and the Philippines (De Silva, reviewed to identify potential energy savings. M., & Henderson, J. 2011; & IIC. 2008). Timers or motion sensors for lights should be placed where possible. What is Sustainable Museums (Suseums)? Adaptations should be made to the building to The museums that are forced to maintain strict reduce energy loss, such as insulation and draft conservation conditions and that have historically reduction. ignored energy efficiency, transforming their practices The energy audit should be regularly analyzed to and structures to align with sustainable development determine the carbon footprint of conservation and the fight against climate change. The sustainable activities. museums of the 21st century are energy-efficient, Alternative sources of green energy production and sustainably managed, and raise public awareness of heat generation should be regularly