If you want to see a real dinosaur, you should have seen our old HVAC system. It chugged away for decades, but energy efficient it was not. 

That’s why we replaced our 20,000-pound energy hog with a modern efficient SMARDT chiller, which is smaller, lighter, and air-cooled. This state-of-the-art piece of equipment was hoisted onto the museum rooftop in May 2020. On the east side of the building, another crane replaced the inadequate HVAC unit servicing the Wet Range collections (which hold our herpetology and entomology specimens in jars of alcohol) with new, efficient mold-abating units. 

These new HVAC units will help us reduce our overall carbon footprint and keep us on the path of being good environmental stewards. The project will help save precious resources and allow us to operate our building more efficiently. 

This is one phase of a bigger energy and equipment overhaul within our master plan. Additional improvements include adding protective films and inserts to windows to protect collections from light and heat, replacing our Atrium skylights with new materials that offer better insulation and UV protection, and replacing more than 1,000 inefficient fluorescent lights with new, energy efficient LED lamps. The Museum is working with SDG&E to receive rebates and incentives on these sustainability upgrades, which will also reduce our annual electricity costs.

These infrastructure projects will significantly modernize our historic building. The Museum houses 70 million years of history. We’re making sure it has a good future.

Posted by The Nat.