Please join us on September 17, 2026 at 4pmGMT to hear from the HVAC Shutdown Group’s founders, Sirpa Kutilainen, Preservation and Digital Resources Coordinator at the University of Brighton Design Archives, and Amy Sampson, Preservation Manager at The National Archives.
They will be sharing key takeaways from the group’s work thus far, including resources to help guide communications and decision-making. This presentation will also include a shameless plug for their upcoming conference ‘Cool Under Pressure: HVAC, Collection Care and the Climate Challenge’, to be held in Leeds, West Yorkshire in early 2027 (exact date is to be confirmed).
Sustainability and the reduction of carbon emissions are pressing issues for organisations across the cultural heritage sector. The traditional reliance on energy-intensive HVAC systems to maintain strict environmental storage conditions has become increasingly unsustainable and organisations are seeking ways to reduce energy consumption while still ensuring the long-term preservation of the collections in their care.
Established in 2024, the UK-based HVAC Shutdown Group emerged as a community-driven response to challenges and knowledge gaps around this subject, with heritage professionals sharing expertise and experience, and developing solutions together.
