At the IAMFA conference in Florence, Rick Kramer and Joe Upjohn shared Bonnefanten Museum’s experience of optimizing existing climate-control equipment—and how better operating data changed its capital plan.
One of the strengths of the International Association of Museum Facility Administrators is how quickly conversations become practical. Museum teams face many of the same challenges: aging infrastructure, strict indoor climate requirements, rising energy costs, and difficult decisions about where to invest limited capital.
Our session centered on one question:
Before replacing aging HVAC equipment, do you know what load your museum needs once the existing system is operating efficiently?
Start with the infrastructure already there
Bonnefanten Museum was operating 1990s-era air handling equipment on a legacy RS-485 network and preparing for a $1M+ replacement of its air handlers, building management system, and associated components.
The first challenge was determining whether modern control could work with that existing infrastructure. It could.
Once connected, the data revealed that the HVAC system was working much harder than the museum needed. By moving from rigid setpoints to dynamic control within approved collection limits, the museum reduced setpoint chasing, cycling, and HVAC loads.
Lower energy use. Better investment decisions.
The reported results at Bonnefanten included:
- 23% lower building-level electricity use
- 25% lower building-level heat use
- Approximately $120K per year in energy savings
Perhaps the most significant outcome was the effect on the capital plan. The planned wholesale replacement has been safely deferred for almost two years. Bonnefanten can focus investment on the components that need attention, supported by much better operating data.
Optimize first. Measure the new baseline. Then right-size the investment.
When planning an HVAC replacement, understanding the load a building actually needs can help inform the size and scope of the next investment.
Thank you to IAMFA for bringing together such a knowledgeable and open community in Florence.
IAMFA FLORENCE · PDF · 22 SLIDES
Get the presentation
Explore Bonnefanten Museum’s journey with aged infrastructure and dynamic climate control, presented by Rick Kramer and Joe Upjohn.
Planning an HVAC renewal?
If you would like to explore opportunities to save energy and potentially reduce the scale and cost of your investment, contact the DYSECO team.