Museums play an invaluable role in connecting people with the past by preserving cultural history. With federal, state, and private support, the U.S. maintains more than 35,000 museums, housing everything from masterpiece paintings to iconic artifacts and scientific milestones.
These sometimes delicate antiquities require constant vigilance to ensure they do not succumb to deterioration, theft, or damage. Tasked with protecting items created from wide-reaching mediums, museum directors require effective building controls and solutions. Decision-makers also need to leverage the building automation control system to minimize costs.
To accomplish these and other goals, operations professionals need remote access to connected buildings synced with next-gen software. Go for a seamless control experience with the following checklist for evaluating museum building controls and solutions.
Museums house assets with enormous monetary value, making them high-profile targets for thieves. Although many enjoy state-of-the-art security systems, criminals eventually devise schemes to overcome protection. That’s why it’s crucial to have multiple security measures that trigger alerts in the event someone breaks in. These typically include sensors that detect the following.
It’s also essential for security teams and operations personnel to receive real-time alerts when someone attempts to override keypads or biometric locks. Prompt theft alerts and responses can save irreplaceable artwork and artifacts from being sold on the black market.
While a museum’s assets are usually secured in place, thieves come prepared to remove them. These types of thefts are not necessarily the modus operandi of stealthy cat burglars. Truth be told, visitors and even museum workers may not be able to resist the thought of a stolen art payday. That was the case of a career shoplifter who took a job at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts. He was later indicted on charges of stealing items valued at $75,000. Security teams and administrators would be well-served to review the connections between IoT devices that detect when someone moves an item on a regular basis.
Museums that integrate IoT devices have a unique opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of facility protection equipment. Fire suppression systems typically undergo routine inspections by local code enforcement officials. While that tells you enough heat will trigger water sprinklers or other agents, annual inspections do not provide ongoing data. By connecting IoT devices to fire suppression systems and syncing them with advanced software, remote access connected buildings track pressure levels. That means remote access smart buildings let you know any time the museum might be at risk.
The threats to museum items go far beyond theft and catastrophic events. Like any building, the facility has a common infrastructure that can take a wrong turn. That’s why operations directors often consider using smart remote connectivity to monitor aspects such as the plumbing. A burst water pipe can ruin priceless artwork. In fact, a water pipe that erupts in a second-floor restroom can flood the space and drip down items secured to the walls on the first floor.
Fortunately, pressure gauges can provide advanced warning. A small leak that results in a minor reduction in pressure can be tracked in real-time and trigger a notification. These are the types of pragmatic building controls and solutions professionals need on their museum checklists.
Energy consumption ranks among the highest expenses used by museums, mainly due to sophisticated climate control systems. Even if HVAC and humidity equipment are used as a building automation control system, having real-time data can save museums money. With the right software in place, administrators can compile information about space usage that is not associated with delicate assets.
Identifying a reduced need to heat and cool conference rooms and gathering spaces allows administrators to rethink automation. It may be the case that designated areas only need maximal comfort when meetings or events are planned. With the right software, indoor space temperatures can be changed from a handheld device on a need basis. That, in turn, can reduce expenses for non-profit institutions.
Museums require intelligent connectivity to protect artwork and historical artifacts. As invaluable non-profit institutions, facilities deserve the best security, systems tracking, and energy consumption analytics available. ODIN provides industry leaders with cloud-based building controls and solutions. If you want to upgrade your remote access to merge new and legacy systems or expand your checklist, connect with ODIN. Let’s get the process started.