Comfort, costs and issues related to the preservation of historic buildings: a difficult trade-off

Heating large historic buildings is not an easy task if cost efficiency and possible damages to the cultural heritage are taken into consideration. Due to the size of the rooms to be heated and the lack of insulation, historic buildings generally suffer from a great heating demand. However, wrong heating methods can result in severe damages inflicted on the building, the furniture or antiques since heating inherently affects e.g. temperature, humidity, and airflow within the building and can cause significant condensation. Varying outdoor temperatures, size of the rooms, and frequency/kind of use of the respective building influence the operation of the heating installation. However, the interplay of the above issues has rarely been investigated scientifically.

For more detailed information -in German- please click on the image above.

Project description

The Research Department for Sustainable Development studies the heating of historic buildings with special regard to damages of the cultural heritage.

Therefore, different methods are being applied:

• Measurement of the indoor climate within churches and castles (measurement period: 4 weeks up to several months; not only during the heating period).
• PC-based CFD simulation (ComputationalFluidDynamics) of the air flow
• Collaboration with professionals in the preservation of historic buildings.
• Literature research and valuable specialised contacts.

The investigations should yield concrete guidelines for the determination of the best heating system for the respective historic building which

• guarantees a reasonable indoor climate
• prevents historic fixtures from damages, and
• is both cost effective and energy-saving.

Project duration: 1999-2003