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Business development Sep 27, 2024

So you're in a museum

Dinosaurs make demanding tenants.

Every day, thousands of people flow through museums all over the world. But these institutions aren’t just fun places to visit. Museums—and their building automation systems—play an important role in preserving the preserved.

They look strong, but artifacts like dinosaur bones are sensitive to environmental conditions. Museums and art galleries depend on building automation systems to precisely monitor and control things like temperature, humidity, lighting, and indoor air quality so we can continue to enjoy and learn from the past.

Humidity, for example, can cause swelling or shrinking of materials like wood and canvas—or even lead to mold. A building automation system uses sensors to monitor humidity levels and activate humidifiers or dehumidifiers as needed.

The temperature in a gallery can fluctuate based on both weather and the number of people in the space. An occupancy sensor might be placed at the entrance to detect the presence of humans, linked to a device that controls an outdoor air damper that lets fresh, ventilated air into the zone when the temperature rises above a desired setpoint when people are present.

A pressurized floor system with heating and cooling control can also enable precise ventilation of a given zone. For example, 2’x2’ floor tiles can be popped out so a variable air volume damper can be installed in any given place. With this concept, air distribution can be customized to suit a particular display. 

If you’ve ever left a bright T-shirt in the sun, you know that light, especially ultraviolet (UV) radiation, can cause fading. Imagine the effect it could have on van Gogh’s The Starry Night. If it was sun-damaged under your care, you might end up looking like the figure in Edvard Munch’s The Scream! Thankfully, the building automation system in a museum or art gallery integrates lighting controls to regulate things like light levels, UV filters, and dimming that protect precious artifacts from light damage.

Beyond environmental control, building automation can also integrate security features like surveillance cameras, alarms, and access control; help facility managers optimize energy efficiency and sustainable practices; and incorporate data analytics that reveal anomalies and encourage proactive equipment maintenance.

The next time you’re face to face with the skull of a 100-million-year-old reptile, think about how the museum’s building automation system is keeping both you—and it—comfortable.