Green Museum - Lighting in Museums

Lighting in Museums

Lighting is an essential component for museums because museums use it to illuminate objects, offices, bathrooms, entrances, storage, and nearly every other space in a museum. As important as light is for a museum, some light can cause negative effects on objects such as paintings, textiles, leather, photographs, books and paper, or mounted specimens. Light damage is cumulative and irreversible, so museums must take special care to avoid unnecessary light damage. The spectrum of light is separated into three categories: ultraviolet light (UV), visible light, and infrared light (IR). Ultraviolet light is most damaging to objects, while infrared light produces heat which also causes damage. Museums generally use halogen or metal halide track lighting in galleries and fluorescent light in storage; however, these are not energy efficient options. Halogen lights waste energy by creating four times the amount of heat as a regular incandescent light and can become fire hazards. In a world where the use of more energy-efficient products is on the rise, museums have more opportunities than ever to cut down on the amount of electricity they use. The challenge to the lighting designer is to achieve a balance between creating interesting and desirable spaces, maintaining visual comfort and health of the visitor, while adhering to energy conservation goals. Lighting is a constantly changing field, especially with new innovations in green technology and energy-efficient options. The lighting options for museums available today will radically change in the next ten years.