Conference on “Reducing Energy Use in Museums Considering Environments for Conservation of Cultural Properties”
In the summer of 2011, electricity users served by Tepco and Tohoku Electric Power were asked to reduce power use (from 9 AM to 8 PM) by 15% from peak levels in 2010. How would museums and art galleries that handle important cultural properties survive? And what problems would they face as a result? The Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques held a conference to review temperature and humidity settings in the exhibition and storage spaces of museums and art galleriess with a supplemental focus on “Reducing Energy Use in Museums and Art Galleries” (the event took place on February 17 (Fri.), 2012 in the Institute’s basement seminar hall and had 66 attendees).
A Survey on Measures Taken to Reduce Museums’ Power Consumption in the Summer of 2011 was conducted from December 2011 to January 2012 with the cooperation of curators who had completed training for museum curators in charge of conservation. Results of the survey were summarized by Chie SANO. In most museums or art galleries, curators seek to avoid changing environmental conditions in storage rooms. At institutions that change the temperature of their galleries, the visitors experience discomfort and their stay in the galleries tends to be short. In some instances, insects and mold infestation and , odors are increased, and metal objects are corroded. In addition, there are concerns about a lack of temperature and humidity control resulting from changes in environment control settings.
Mr. Osamu FUKUNAGA of the National Art Center, Tokyo discusses views on temperature and humidity settings at art museums. Cultural properties vary widely, lending institutions have different views, and local climates, building structures and designs, and curating vary. These facts preclude the establishment of uninform criteria for exhibition conditions, but communication to reach an agreement on those conditions is crucial, as Mr. FUKUNAGA noted. Ms Mitsue NAGAYA reported on controlling conditions following closure of a special exhibition gallery to reduce daytime power consumption in the summer of 2011. Ms NAGAYA presented examples of items that were kept in good condition through nighttime climate control.
Takeshi ISHIZAKI reported on current trends and approaches overseas with regard to temperature and humidity settings to conserve cultural properties. ISHIZAKI cited reports of experiments on the extent of deformation in mock specimens intended to ascertain the effect of changes in humidity on the components of cultural properties. ISHIZAKI also indicated the extent of brief fluctuations in a well-controlled environment and he provided examples of research into an approach that allows some fluctuations in accordance with seasonal changes (temperatures are adjusted but humidity is constant).
Last, Mr. Takashi MATSUO of the Shimizu Institute of Technology described the latest energy-saving technologies used in office buildings. Mr. MATSUO new techniques being tested in relatively large areas to efficiently use energy, such as utilizing shade and reducing peak energy use in conjunction with neighboring areas.
New methods of controlling temperature and humidity by allowing temperature adjustments at a constant humidity or allowing greater fluctuations must be carefully assessed to determine if they truly have no effect on cultural properties, and assessments must be repeated, discussed, and understood by all relevant personnel. The Conference on “Reducing Energy Use in Museums Considering Environments for Conservation of Cultural Properties” provided a valuable opportunity to see the steps in risk management: new information on risk assessment is now available, and risk communication, or how that information is evaluated and shared among stakeholders, is becoming evident.