Not at all museum-ready

Vienna’s Natural History Museum leads the way to a climate-friendly future

"Landlord" Christian Fischer shows the PV system on the roof of the Natural History Museum.

(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

The Natural History Museum in Vienna wants to become CO2-neutral, despite many hurdles such as monument protection. Last but not least, the museum wants to set an example for the whole city.

The Natural History Museum is not only a cultural flagship, an attraction and a venerable research facility all in one, but also an old building with corresponding problems in terms of its ecological footprint. It shares these concerns with countless other buildings in Vienna. This is precisely why the NHM now wants to do something even more courageous for the climate.

NHM struggles with problems like many other Viennese buildings
The goal of CO2 neutrality by 2030 "will not be achieved", admitted museum director Katrin Vohland: problems that many buildings in Vienna are struggling with in their desire for sustainable refurbishment could not be avoided at the museum either: Here, for example, monument protection prevented comprehensive thermal insulation or the introduction of new heating systems in the historic exhibition rooms. Vohland revealed that the old building fabric had a far better climate balance than the roof extensions from the 1980s, for example.

NHM Director Katrin Vohland

(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

Extra-strict climate bill, visitors included
Vohland does not want to set a new fixed annual target for complete climate neutrality - including CO2 emissions from visitors and staff's daily commute - but it could be achieved around 2050. However, the museum wants to prove that it is still possible to do enough: The PV system on the roof now generates as much electricity as 75 single-family homes consume, thermostatic valves on the radiators save up to a third of heat energy, and preparations are underway for geothermal drilling.

A path of many smaller steps
The path to climate compatibility does not involve one big solution, but several small measures, emphasized NHM building manager Christian Fischer - even though the museum has many additional challenges that other buildings are spared: The cooling systems for the research work, for example, are enormous energy guzzlers. The success of the museum also plays a role: each of the 100 visitors a year brings 100 watts of energy "into the building" - which in summer means the corresponding energy requirement for cooling.

The PV system covers twelve percent of the NHM's electricity requirements.

(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

Not only costs, but also cost savings
However, Fischer also emphasized that the path to climate compatibility not only brings costs, but also direct benefits: since the switch to district heating, for example, the maintenance of the gigantic gas pipeline network has been saved. And the conversion of 8,000 lighting fixtures in the building to LED not only saves electricity, but also the often difficult work involved in replacing lamps at great heights or in display cases.

However, a computer simulation of the entire building should also bring benefits for Vienna. Everything is calculated, right down to the heat loss of individual window panes. This should reveal further hidden energy-saving potential and thus provide valuable information for the whole of Vienna. It is clear to Fischer that the NHM has to get involved here: "Otherwise we wouldn't be able to set up so many display cases to exhibit extinct species."