Risk Analysis and Sustainability

Abstract

Strategic equipment shutdowns are common strategies fo r saving energy in buildings du ring unoccupied times. The Image Permanence Institute is testing whether it is possible to significantly reduce ene rgy usage in libraries and other cultu ral institutions th rough carefully moni to red and ri sk-managed shutdowns of air-handling units during unoc cupied hours in select spaces without comp rom ising the quality of the prese rvation environment. This paper concentrates on the identifica tion and mitigation of risks and the decision-making process related to expe rimental shutdown procedures in the cu rrently in-progress three year project, federally funded in the United States by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Potential risk factors are identified for candidate spaces and shutdown procedures, options for qualitative and quantitative analyses are presented, and potential benefits in both prese rvation quality and energy savings are described. While heating, ventilating, and airconditioning (HVAC) equipment shutdowns have long been recognized as a strategic option for institutions to achieve ener gy savings, the particular requirements of preservation environments for cultural