Energy conservation in museums using different setpoint strategies: A case study for a state-of-the-art museum using building simulations

[Display omitted] •A hygrothermal building model is constructed for a state-of-the-art museum in Amsterdam.•Building simulations are performed to assess different setpoint strategies for T and RH.•The optimum setpoint strategy may reduce building’s energy demand drastically (77% compared to the refe...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Applied energy Vol. 158; pp. 446 - 458
Main Authors:	Kramer, R.P., Maas, M.P.E., Martens, M.H.J., van Schijndel, A.W.M., Schellen, H.L.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier Ltd 15-11-2015
Subjects:	Building simulation Energy conservation Indoor climate Museum Preservation Museum Building simulation Preservation Energy conservation Indoor climate
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	[Display omitted] •A hygrothermal building model is constructed for a state-of-the-art museum in Amsterdam.•Building simulations are performed to assess different setpoint strategies for T and RH.•The optimum setpoint strategy may reduce building’s energy demand drastically (77% compared to the reference situation).•The optimum setpoint strategy improves thermal comfort and collection preservation. Museums are dedicated to protect their artwork collection and to display the collection as safely as possible. Amongst other things, the indoor climate is of utmost importance to minimize collection degradation. Many museums employ tight climate guidelines, allowing only small fluctuations of indoor temperature and relative humidity, resulting in the following problems: huge energy consumption, the need for high-capacity HVAC systems, additional stress on historical buildings. This simulation study investigates the energy-saving potential of different setpoint strategies. Damage functions were used to assess the degradation risk of the collection and an Adaptive Temperature Guideline was used to assess thermal comfort. A state-of-the-art museum in the Netherlands was modeled and the indoor climate and energy consumption were simulated, including heating, cooling, humidification and dehumidification. Maximum savings, compared to a reference situation, of 82% may be achieved. However, the optimum strategy yields a saving of 77%, significantly improves thermal comfort and decreases chemical degradation.
ISSN:	0306-2619 1872-9118
DOI:	10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.08.044