Motion-activated lighting for light-sensitive materials

I am looking into the use of motion-activated lighting, or occupancy
sensors, in galleries devoted to light-sensitive materials.

I have not been able to locate many museums where these systems have
been installed in a full-scale attempt to limit exposure times
and/or save on energy costs.  The Xianghai Museum and The Capital
Museum, Beijing, are museums with systems that seem both
preservationally sound and aesthetically pleasing.  In galleries
with light-sensitive materials, The Capital Museum employed Lutron
occupancy sensors that detect human presence with infrared sensors;
lights are turned on only when visitors are close to the exhibits
and dimmed when they walk away.  I know, as well, of museums that
have retrofitted galleries with motion-activated lighting; the Asian
paintings galleries at the Nelson-Atkins, for instance.  Does anyone
know of other cases where these systems are being used successfully?
Or not?  And any thoughts on whether this approach meets the
criteria of (1) protecting the collections and (2) making the
collections accessible to the visitor?

Jennifer Perry
Associate Conservator for Asian Paintings
The Cleveland Museum of Art


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:42
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-23-42-018
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