Integrating Risk Assessment for Pollutants into Energy-saving Strategies for Sustainable Environmental Management of Collection Storage Spaces

FAIN: PR-276878-21

RIT (Rochester, NY 14623-5698)
Kelly Krish (Project Director: May 2020 to September 2022)
Emma J Richardson (Project Director: September 2022 to present)
Marvin Cummings (Co Project Director: December 2022 to present)

A three-year Tier II advanced research project to develop a diagnostic methodology for cultural heritage institutions to monitor and adjust room-level pollutant concentrations while implementing sustainable preservation strategies.

RIT’s Image Permanence Institute is applying for a three-year Tier II: Advanced Implementation Grant to integrate new methods for pollution risk assessment into best practices for implementing energy-saving strategies in mechanical systems serving collection spaces. Pollutants are pervasive, occurring in indoor and outdoor air, causing damage to nearly all forms of collection objects. The project will document, analyze, and interpret changes to pollutant concentrations when implementing energy-saving strategies, as compared to standard operation. A data collection and modeling procedure will be developed to help institutions balance their own indoor and outdoor pollutant levels with preservation quality, energy-savings optimization, and reduced carbon footprint. The proposed project’s relation to climate change, financial impact, and preservation makes it both timely and pressing, and the results will be applicable to the vast majority of collecting institutions.