Risk Analysis and Sustainability: Identifying and Mitigating Risk in Mechanical System Shutdown Research

Strategic equipment shutdowns are common strategies for saving energy in buildings during unoccupied times. The Image Permanence Institute is testing whether it is possible to significantly reduce energy usage in libraries and other cultural institutions through carefully monitored and risk-managed shutdowns of air-handling units during unoccupied hours in select spaces without compromising the quality of the preservation environment. This paper concentrates on the identification and mitigation of risks and the decision-making process related to experimental shutdown procedures in the currently 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 preservation quality and energy savings are described.