A new study examines the relationship between energy, carbon, and T/RH parameters in collecting institutions.

The practice of storing and exhibiting objects in museum spaces set to the 70/50 standard is often challenging to achieve or inappropriate for the diversity of museum collections, buildings, and locations. It also consumes unnecessary energy, increasing both costs and carbon emissions. If you work in facilities or with collections, you likely deal with this burden regularly.

As part of the growing movement to integrate the Bizot Green Protocol, which offers the cultural heritage sector updated science-based climate-control guidelines, some organizations are managing their collections with broadened parameters. But many are not. For widespread adoption to occur, the sector needs quantitative evidence demonstrating that broadened parameters can have positive benefits, such as reducing energy costs and related carbon emissions, and won’t compromise collections care.

What Is the Min/Max Project?

Min/Max: The Relationship Between Energy, Carbon, and T/RH Parameters in Collecting Institutions (Min/Max) is a US-based, national research study funded by an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant (2024–2026). The study examines the financial, energy, and carbon impacts of broadening T/RH parameters beyond the strict 70/50 practice—a challenge often referred to as the plus/minus dilemma, or simply min/max. Eight art museums that store or exhibit objects in diverse climate regions across the United States are participating in the study.

Environment & Culture Partners (ECP), the national nonprofit organization I work for, leads the project. Based in Tacoma, Washington, ECP is focused on advancing climate change action and leadership in the cultural sector. We are founded on the certitude that museums, as trusted, community-focused, informal-educational organizations, have a responsibility to act.

While many organizations are working toward environmental sustainability and climate action in their operations, programs, and exhibits, others perceive overwhelming barriers to participation: We’re not focused on science. Where do we start? What difference can we make? That’s why ECP was formed—to provide the knowledge, tools, skills, and advocacy to help organizations influence positive change. Min/Max seeks to help museums realistically address climate change.

To carry out Min/Max, we are partnering with New Buildings Institute (NBI) in collaboration with A2 Efficiency (A2). NBI is a national nonprofit that develops scalable and practical approaches to eliminate carbon emissions from the built environment, and A2 is a consultancy that focuses on sustainable building practices. The study also benefits from an advisory team of experts and practitioners in conservation, museum facilities, engineering, and related fields.

While not all project partners are museum professionals, many have backgrounds in the cultural sector or have worked with cultural organizations. This interdisciplinary approach is essential—climate change is complex, and the best solutions often come from cross-sector collaboration.

Min/Max and its focus on art museums builds on a previous research study, Culture Over Carbon: Understanding the Impact of Museums’ Energy Use, conducted by NBI and ECP. This study collected and analyzed energy data from 133 cultural organizations, including five museum types, historic sites, public gardens, and zoos and aquariums.

Among the 243 buildings studied, art museums had the highest energy use intensity (EUI) and the highest thermal baseload—consistent year-round energy, used for systems like water heating and associated with humidity control. The median site EUI for art museums in the study was 168, which is two to three times higher than those of other commercial/nonresidential buildings such as libraries, offices, and schools! This is largely attributed to art museums’ strict T/RH requirements.

Min/Max uses a data-driven approach and real-world testing to identify appropriate environmental conditions for collections under which broadened T/RH parameters can reduce costs and carbon emissions while maintaining collections care standards.

What This Project Is Creating

Using NBI and A2’s engineering expertise, Min/Max is aiming to develop a free web-based, interactive energy dashboard and building energy models for predicting overall building performance; materials on the project findings; and recommendations for next steps. These resources are designed to help you and your peers make informed, context-specific decisions about adjusting environmental parameters.

When Min/Max officially launched in September 2024, the project team reviewed and compiled literature and resources from the cultural heritage sector and other sectors to ground the work. We reviewed the history of the 70/50 standard, “The Plus/Minus Dilemma” (see Resources at end); relevant museum research; and promising practices in other sectors.

We then turned to data collection to inform the dashboard and model development. The eight participating museums completed a survey of their building characteristics, mechanical systems, and collections care policies and practices. They also contributed their 2024 Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) data. ESPM is a free tool from the US Environmental Protection Agency that allows individuals and commercial industries to track energy consumption, waste, water, and associated carbon emissions. (See “A Valuable Tool” section below.)

Lastly, site visits to three participating museums—Tacoma Art Museum, Eiteljorg Museum, and New Orleans Museum of Art—were critical for our otherwise fully remote team. These visits allowed us to observe actual conditions, practices, building construction, systems, and equipment, and, most importantly, to meet the passionate and forward-thinking museum staff advancing this work.

The data collection phase, bookended by our final museum site visit in early April 2025, culminated in preliminary findings. We observed recurring themes of organizational dependencies across the participating museums, which appeared to impact their ability to fully implement and benefit from broadened parameters.

One key theme we identified was staff unity. Though our sample size was small, staff at participating museums consistently demonstrated competence, care, and commitment to their work and organization. Museums that advanced with greater ease, confidence, and enthusiasm shared one trait: unified staff working toward common goals. A shared vision and cross-departmental agreement—especially across all levels of leadership, facilities, and collections care teams—fosters a collaborative and trusting environment where decision-making becomes more efficient and effective. To encourage this, we recommend inviting conservators, facilities staff, and any others who work with environmental controls and collections to the conversations. You may discover new allies and champions.

Next Steps

Our remaining data analysis and anticipated testing were paused when the grant was terminated effective April 8, 2025, in alignment with Executive Order 14238, Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. Many readers may unfortunately relate to the confusion and gut-punch of hearing, “your grant is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States.”

Fortunately, the project already reached several key milestones, including the completion of all primary data collection. Because of this, and the project’s value to the field, ECP received numerous messages of support for the work from our project partners, collaborators, and participants. We appealed the grant’s termination and committed to continuing segments of the study, even if funding remained uncertain in the months ahead. On May 21, 2025, the grant was reinstated following a court’s preliminary injunction order. While we were delighted by this development, an appeal of the injunction was already pending.

At the time of writing, we are moving forward, cautiously and strategically, reimagining our process to ensure the study can still be completed in a way that benefits the field. We look forward to sharing more soon.

“The study examines the financial, energy, and carbon impacts of broadening T/RH parameters beyond the strict 70/50 practice—a challenge often referred to as the plus/minus dilemma.”

Resources

Culture Over Carbon: Understanding the Impact of Museums’ Energy Use, New Buildings Institute, Environment & Culture Partners, and New England Museum Association, 2021–2023 – Access the PDF

Held in Trust: Transforming Cultural Heritage Conservation for a More Resilient Future, Foundation for Advancement in Conservation, June 2023 – Access the report

“The Plus/Minus Dilemma: The Way Forward in Environmental Guidelines” (roundtable transcript), International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works & American Institute for Conservation, May 10, 2010 – Access the guidelines

“The Bizot Green Protocol,” Bizot Group, September 2023 – Access the PDF

“Handbook #1: Adopting the Bizot Green Guidelines,” Bizot Group, September 2023 – Access the handbook

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Danielle Sakowski is the Program Manager at Environment & Culture Partners, a Tacoma, Washington–based nonprofit that seeks to strengthen the cultural sector’s environmental leadership. If you’d like updates on the project’s status, visit ecprs.org, follow Environment & Culture Partners on LinkedIn, or email hello@ecprs.org.