Brady (www.bradyservices.com), a company that provides energy-efficient HVAC systems and comprehensive building solutions for commercial and industrial facilities across North Carolina,announces today that the North Carolina Museum of Art received international honors for its energy and environmental enhancements to the East Building. A four-year reconciliation of utility savings shows a 63 percent reduction in expenses equaling more than $2.6 million in savings. Representatives from Brady and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers presented a plaque to the NCMA board of trustees on March 14.

The ASHRAE Technology Award is given for outstanding achievements in applied, innovative building design that incorporates ASHRAE standards for effective energy management and indoor air quality. To be nominated for international recognition, a project must first be recognized with a Technology Award at the regional level.

“To us, the stuff behind the walls is just as beautiful as the artwork that hangs on the walls,” says J.D. Howard, president, Triangle ASHRAE Chapter and Brady associate.

Innovative technologies used in the Museum are:

* Pre-treatment of outside air

* High-pressure, high-purity cold-fog humidification

* Refrigerant-migration-free cooling (no electricity required for A/C)

The facility now exceeds “AA” ASHRAE indoor-environment requirements. For exhibition space, standards require short-term relative humidity fluctuations of no more than +/- 5 percent at 50 percent relative humidity. Temperature fluctuations may not exceed +/- 4 degrees Fahrenheit at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. No seasonal fluctuations in relative humidity are allowed.

"The innovations from Brady have made our visitors more comfortable and provide better protection for the works of art in East Building,” says Wheeler. “Without the improvements, we could not have hosted the Monet, Egyptian and Norman Rockwell exhibits.”

This is North Carolina’s first capital improvement project funded by guaranteed energy savings. Facility upgrades to the East Building began in 2005 and were completed in January 2007. The performance contract guarantee is for twelve-years, saving more than $6 million in utility and maintenance costs. The independently audited report at the end of year four identifies actual savings exceeding performance contract projections by more than $73,000. Without the improvements, the museum would have spent more than $3.6 million on electricity, gas and water for the East Building during those four years. With the improvements, the museum spent less than $1 million.

About North Carolina Museum of Art:

The North Carolina Museum of Art’s permanent collection spans more than 5,000 years, from ancient Egypt to the present, making the institution one of the premier art museums in the Southeast. The Museum’s collection provides educational, aesthetic, intellectual, and cultural experiences for the citizens of North Carolina and beyond. The 164-acre Museum Park showcases the connection between art and nature through site-specific works of environmental art. The Museum offers changing national touring exhibitions, classes, lectures, family activities, films, and concerts. Admission to the Museum’s permanent collection and Museum Park is free; fees are charged for special exhibitions and some programming. www.ncartmuseum.org.

The North Carolina Museum of Art, Lawrence J. Wheeler, director, is located at 2110 Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh. It is the art museum of the State of North Carolina, Beverly Eaves Perdue, governor, and an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources, Linda A. Carlisle, secretary.

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