Establishing Sustainable Environmental Strategy

This project seeks to develop new, or refine existing, climate control strategies for museum collections through working with collecting institutions to implement sustainable, knowledge-based solutions tailored to their specific needs.

• Evidence-Based Carbon Footprint Reduction: Developed institutional data to support long-term sustainability goals, including the more sustainable climate control strategy at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, and the target of the Victoria & Albert Museum, United Kingdom to achieve Net Zero by 2035.
• Proofed Fluctuation Concept: Digital speckle pattern interferometry (DSPI) showed that highly sensitive objects, such as 18th-century lacquer commodes, remain structurally stable even when exposed to broader environmental ranges.
• Optimization of Climate Strategies: Successfully utilized acoustic emission (AE) data to inform and refine climate control strategies at both the National Gallery Victoria, Australia and Victoria & Albert Museum, United Kingdom with real-time monitoring of objects like the Flemish altarpiece showing no adverse response to expanded parameters.
• Enhanced Public and Professional Engagement: Successfully integrated acoustic emission monitoring systems into didactic displays to engage the public with collections care
• Advancement in Storage Efficiency: Initiated an interdisciplinary study at the Getty Research Institute to optimize energy usage in high-density storage by transitioning from single set points to dual set point bands and implementing dynamic HVAC adjustments.

It is widely recognized that the museum building and its collections should be viewed as one system, and that significant energy savings can be achieved by changing the system operating algorithm and measures such as sealing the structure, improving insulation to reduce heat gain/loss, and optimizing ventilation rates. It has also been demonstrated that relaxing the parameters of temperature and humidity result in a considerable reduction in energy consumption.

The project recognizes the crucial importance of addressing obstacles in redefining archives and museum operations and provides staff with tools for museum staff to support their decision-making process. It seeks to inform and implement environmental strategies for collections by considering building type, existing climate control systems, and the recognition that any strategy must support the overall heritage preservation plan.

Michał Łukomski, Vincent Laudato Beltran, Ashley Amanda Freeman, Theofanis Karafotias, Jenny Kim