Founded in 1989 by Sir Terence Conran, the Design Museum operates as a registered charity and all funds generated by ticket sales aid the museum in curating new exhibitions – covering product, industrial, graphic, fashion, and architectural design. In 2018 the museum won the European Museum of the Year Award.
The Design Museum moved to the former Commonwealth Institute building on Kensington High Street in 2016, undertaking a refurbishment project costing £83million. The Energy Check is helping the museum take steps to reduce energy consumption at the 10,000m2 Grade II listed building.
£15,000 saving on energy
As a not-for-profit organisation that has received more than £7million in grant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England in recent years, The Energy Check’s role in helping to negotiate the best prices on energy contracts and identify cost-saving opportunities is a crucial one. In 2019 this procurement process resulted in a total saving of £15,000 for the museum.
A bright plan
While the 2016 refurbishment of the former Commonwealth Institute building ensured that the Design Museum would be run with impressive energy efficiency, the Energy Check team nevertheless identified a number of improvements that could be made during a thorough audit of the site. Among these changes were several small but significant “housekeeping” recommendations, such as the installation of PIR type sensors where possible to ensure that room lights switched off automatically when not in use. It was also suggested that energy savings could be made through the replacement of humidification systems, which were not providing optimal energy efficiency.
“By working closely with The Energy Check’s specialist team we hope to implement meaningful changes that will both enhance the museum’s energy efficiency and lower costs, allowing us to invest more into the exhibitions, learning programmes and events that make the Design Museum the leading museum of design and architecture in the world.”
Alice Black, Co-Director of the Design Museum
