Running head: LED LIGHTS: A MUSEUM EXHIBIT CASE STUDY 1

LED Lights:

A Museum Exhibit Case Study

Jordan Ortman

Aspen Falls City Government

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LED Lighs:

A Museum Exhibit Case Study

In April 2014, the Durango County Museum of History installed a small exhibit titled

Our heritage: Pictures from the past. The collection consists of five daguerreotypes and several

silver albumen prints. A study was made to measure the benefits and costs of using LED lights

instead of traditional halogen lamps.

Risks of Lighting Historic Photographs

All lighting harms photographs. It is the task of the conservator to minimize this harm so

that the photographs can be viewed for a significant span of time, typically 50 to 100

years[ CITATION Ber03 \l 1033 ]. For these reasons, historical photographs are displayed only

periodically in rooms with significantly reduced lighting. These practices minimize the visitor

experience and according to Hunt, reducing light levels diminishes color saturation and

contrast[CITATION Hun52 \p 192 \l 1033 ].

In all lighting systems, ultraviolet light (UV) must be eliminated as that spectrum harms

photographs the most. Halogen lights must have UV filters installed, which adds to their cost and

effectiveness. LED lamps do not emit UV light and do not need extra filters. According to a

study by the Getty Conservation Institute, fading from LED lamps does not result in any more

damage than conventional halogen lamps with ultraviolet filtering. They found that it is likely

using LED lamps results in less fading of photographic materials[ CITATION Dru15 \l 1033 ].

Methodology

In the new exhibit, 12-watt PAR38 20° lamps were utilized. The temperature rating for

these lamps was 2700 Kelvin. Although the LED light output was significantly less than
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traditional halogen lamps, some screening was still needed. UV filters were not installed because

LED lights do not emit any significant levels of ultra-violet light. This simplified the installation

process.

In the past, the museum curator would have lighted the exhibit with 60 watt, PAR38 30°

120V halogen flood lamps. UV filters were installed over each lamp, and then each light was

screened down to decrease the light output to the desired level. 1

The cost of purchase, installation, and electricity consumed during the exhibit were

monitored and recorded. Using past records of exhibits using Halogen lamps, a cost-benefit

analysis was conducted by comparing the two sets of data.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Studies show that the higher initial costs of LED lighting systems is usually offset by less

energy consumption and reduced replacement costs due to their long life span. [ CITATION

Wig10 \l 1033 ] Our findings are consistent with this hypothesis:

 The purchase price is more expensive than Halogen lamps by a factor of 18.5.

 Halogen lamps would have increased electricity costs by a factor of 6.2

 LED lamp life is longer by a factor of 16.67. 3

Using the three factors given above, a 10-year life-cycle analysis was conducted. With the

costs annualized over a 10-year period, LED lamps provided a cost reduction over Halogen

lamps of 66%.

1
Screening is the process of installing layers of metal window screen.
2
A blended electricity rate was used. The averages time-of-use, demand charges,

and fees.
3
Derived from industry standards.
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Recommendations

Based on the data, this report recommends the following:

1. Use LED lighting in all new exhibits.

2. In existing exhibits, replace failed halogen lights with LED replacement lamps.

3. Conduct a similar cost-benefit analysis for non-exhibit areas of the museum.

4. Share study findings with all City Hall departments.

Using LED lighting not only cuts museum expenditures, it reduces overall demand for

electricity. Thus, converting to LED lights benefits both the organization’s “bottom line” and the

environment. The study supports the city’s decision to find ways to utilize LED lighting in city

operations.
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References

Druzik, J., & Miller, N. (2015, October). Guidelines for Selecting Solid State Lighting for

Museums. Retrieved from

http://www.getty.edu//conservation//our_projects/science/lighting/guidelines.html

Hunt, R. W. (1952). Light and Dark Adaptation and Perception of Color. Journal of the Optical

Society of America, 190-199.

Lavedrine, B. (2003). A Guide to the Preventive Conservation of Photograph Collections. Los

Angeles: Getty Conservation Institute.

Wiggens, M., McKenney, K., Dieckmann, J., & Brodrick, J. (2010). Solid-State Lighting, Part 2:

Applications. ASHRAE Journal, 52(2), 78,80-81.