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Spurlock wins AAM national sustainability award

  • Post Date: 6/11/2020
  • Author: John Holton, assistant collections manager
  • Reading Time: 2 minute read
This post is also available in an audio version.

The Spurlock Museum is thrilled to announce that we won the American Alliance of Museums 2020 Sustainability Excellence Award (external link)!

This national award recognizes Spurlock’s commitment to energy conservation; over the past ten years, we have saved $750,000 in energy costs.  Using limited donor and endowment funds, we started small by monitoring room temperatures and replacing lights. Next, we used the University’s Revolving Loan Fund (external link) and Energy and Conservation Incentive Programs (external link) to evaluate our energy usage and then used the findings to modify our building systems for increased energy efficiency.

Since 2010, we have upgraded our building’s heating, ventilation and cooling systems (HVAC), improved our steam pipe insulation, and switched our lights to energy efficient Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). We continue to look for ways to conserve energy, save costs, and support the campus Illinois Climate Action Plan (external link).

  • A man installs an energy efficient light fixture and a student worker replaces bulbs with LED in a gallery.
    Left: Electricians Brad Eveland and Doug Dahl prepare conduit to install an LED light fixture in the Artifact Preservation Center. 63 florescent fixtures were upgraded to LED during this process.; Right: Student employee Scarlett Andes installs LED bulbs in light fixtures to be installed in gallery track lights. A total of 1,140 gallery lights were upgraded during this process, both inside cases and in room ambient light fixtures.

We are deeply grateful to University Facilities and Services (external link) for their help, especially the Retrocommissioning Team (external link), Recommissioning Team (external link), and Electricians. Their combined expertise, collaboration, and efforts made this achievement possible.

  • Man on a ladder points an electronic box at HVAC outlet on ceiling
    Recommissioning crew member Corey Evans measures air flow through a major duct line to confirm the return fan is properly working. Air ducts for all four of the museum’s air handling units were evaluated, and fan adjustments were made as needed.
  • Joke collage image of museum exterior, bob ross bobble head, tree with googly eyes, and text

Audio Version

Audio alternative to text above spoken by John Holton