This is a web page version of our monthly email with links for more information. (Typically updated the beginning of each month). Check the overall schedule for a current list of this year’s meetings and benchmarking program milestones.
This Month’s Shared Practice Meeting
Shared Practice Meeting (One-hour Zoom call)
September 23, 2025:12:00 pm EDT / 9:00 am PDT / 5:00 pm CET
This month’s meeting is a Annual Workshop Town Hall Session. Join us and ask others any question you have about issues you are facing or initiatives you are going to undertake! Share your lessons learned on their questions.
All staff of cultural institutions are welcome to participate.
Other Meetings of Interest
IAMFA Online
https://www.iamfa.org/iamfa-online
IFMA Museum/Cultural Institutions Council
https://mcic.ifma.org/events/
Working Towards a Museum ENERGY STAR Rating
New Buildings Institute (NBI) and Environment & Culture Partners (ECP) have developed a data collection survey to support the development of a Museum Score for EnergyStar Portfolio Manager (ESPM).
While we have all heard that this program is at risk, ECP has been in touch with EPA regarding the future of ESPM. We do not believe that the tool will be eliminated, but it may be moved from the EPA to DOE or be reinstated by a nonprofit organization. Whatever the case, a score for museums that is scientifically collected, and developed in alignment with other sectors’ scoring approaches, is important for future benchmarking and compliance.
This survey is intended to gather data and information for EPA analysis that could lead to an ENERGY STAR Score (1-100) for museums and other cultural institutions
If you do energy star benchmarking or IAMFA benchmarking you should have the information needed for this survey. The survey asks for 2024 calendar year energy-use data for all fuels (e.g., annual total for electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, etc.), along with operational data. Please participate in this survey to help use gain a museum rating: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MuseumScore
Other Updates and Activities
Special thanks to Brendan Robinson of Glenstone for sharing Lessons Learned from an Energy AI System Pilot at our July shared practice meeting. A recording of this presentation will be posted in the near future.
The draft reporting for the 2025 Cultural Facilities Benchmarking Program is now available. If you have already entered your data, you can check it now. Deadline for final data submission is September 30.
AI Benchmarking Assistants
We are working on AI Assistants to make it easier to use the results. Let us know if you are interested in this.
Steering Committee Meetings are discontinued for 2025
While we have had these general discussions about the benchmarking program, we now offer 1:1 support calls and will use this time slot for those and general training. Suggestions for benchmarking data/metrics, reporting requests, and ideas for the annual workshop are still welcome! (submit them here)
Additional Support
We provide additional support services on data systems, data integration/assembly, using metrics, special studies and strategic facility planning. Contact us if you would like a no-sales chat about your situation.
Other News & Announcements
- Did You Miss a Shared Practice Meeting in 2024? Some were recorded and are available in the articles section of our website: https://facilityissues.com/articles/ along with other resources we provide.
- I am exploring alternative options and additional support related to the facility benchmarking program. If there are any potential changes or services that you would like to see, please contact me.
- 1:1 calls available with any benchmarking participant and anyone interested in the program. Schedule now if you wish to discuss your results, challenges with any issues, or just to chat about your situation.
- If you are interested in the Second International Climate Control Conference coordinated by Ki Futures, the recording is available
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