Hygrothermal Performance of Enclosures in a Storage Room and Energy Efficiency in Environmental Control

This study aims to provide energy-efficient strategies for collections care in the face of financial and environmental challenges. Focusing on paper-based enclosures in storage rooms, the research proposes strategies to enhance energy efficiency by relaxing tight environmental controls. The five-stage process began with a standard test of hygrothermal properties and buffering capacity of the enclosures. In the second stage, a computer model was developed using the first stage results. This model was used in a series of specially designed tests simulating the transient heat, air, and moisture transfer between the room and enclosure to determine an acceptable room environment in which the enclosure conditions could meet collections care standards. The modelling results were used, in the third stage, to develop an AI model that predicted the enclosure conditions using room temperature and relative humidity (RH) inputs. In the final stage, a model for energy consumption of air-conditioning system operations was developed to predict across various control accuracies. Results indicate that the tight maintenance of room RH levels can be relaxed from 47–53% to 33–65%, with a corresponding reduction in energy consumption of approximately 16–18%. This relaxation, while maintaining enclosure conditions in line with conservation standards, was demonstrated through a simulation case at the National Library of Scotland. This study underscores the broader applicability of the developed procedure, asserting its relevance for cultural institutions seeking energy-saving potential through customized enclosure models.