COMPANY:Brady (Greensboro, N.C.)

INSTALLATION:Mee Industries Inc.’s MeeFog™ high-pressure, pure-water, evaporative fog system for humidification

COMPLETION:Installation – February 2007; Performance contract – 12 years

CUSTOMER:North Carolina Museum of Art (Raleigh, N.C.)

OBJECTIVE:To control humidity fluctuations as part of a performance-contract-based mechanical systems upgrade

DESCRIPTION:The North Carolina Museum of Art was experiencing humidity fluctuations of 30 percent in the winter and up to 60 percent in the summer. Since temperature and humidity fluctuations are detrimental to fine art, this restricted the type of exhibits displayed in the museum. To remedy the indoor environmental fluctuation and reduce the energy consumption of the facility, the state of North Carolina entered into its first performance contract through Brady. The contract calls for annual energy and operational saving of $502,827 over 12 years to offset the $5 million in upgrades. To provide a consistent relative humidity of 50 percent throughout the facility, Brady removed the 94 area-based humidification systems and replaced them with a single MeeFog™ system at the outside-air intake. This resulted in humidity fluctuations reduced to within 5 percent. Coupled with new boilers, chillers, variable drives on the air handlers and automation of the system, the museum has documented saving of more than $2.1 million in the first three years since installation. This is 2.5 percent more than the performance contracted guaranteed, saving the museum an additional $45,000.

“Without the upgrades many traveling exhibits … could not come to the museum.”
- Larry Wheeler, director for the North Carolina Museum of Art

Publication date:02/14/2011