The potential hazards and maintenance efforts associated with poorly located HVAC equipment can be a perpetual battle for facility managers and building maintenance staff.
If HVAC equipment is difficult to access, it is less likely to be properly maintained. Inadequate maintenance leads to component failure, which can be catastrophic in a museum setting.
Every building owner wants a lower energy bill. With museum applications in particular, implementing energy saving measures or selecting HVAC economizer systems first requires a full understanding of the system’s capabilities and potential effects in order to avoid negative impacts to the building, its occupants, and its artifacts.
HVAC design for museums in cold weather climates often requires an attention to detail that's typically not necessary when humidification is not a factor.
Because cold, dry, outdoor air must be heated and humidified prior to discharging into the gallery space, and because exterior windows and mullions have the potential to get colder than the space dew point, special care needs to be taken to ensure that condensation does not form on these elements.
Topics: hvac condensation, hvac equipment, high performance hvac design
The presence of airborne pollutants, both particulates and gases, can be damaging to any museum collection or exhibit. Particles in the form of dirt, skin, salt, hair, etc., can rapidly collect on artifacts and display spaces if not properly managed.
Once this layer of dust forms, it makes an easy meal for small organisms and bugs, which can then lead to mice and other rodents. All of these are unwelcome guests in a museum, as their feeding activity and presence alone will assuredly cause damage to sensitive materials.