Members Spotlight: Balancing conservation heritage with carbon reduction at the Natural History Museum

Date: May 19, 2026

Members Spotlight: Balancing conservation heritage with carbon reduction at the Natural History Museum

Members Spotlight Blog: Jude Pattemore, Energy Manager, Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum (NHM) holds one of the world’s most important scientific collections of more than 80 million specimens. Millions of visitors explore its galleries each year, while hundreds of scientists work behind the scenes studying everything from minerals and meteorites to wildlife, ecosystems and climate impacts. Managing energy at the Museum means working within a uniquely demanding environment, where historic buildings, specialist laboratories and carefully controlled collection spaces all coexist. We met with Jude Pattemore, the Museum’s Energy Manager, to find out how she is modernising core infrastructure to shape long-term decarbonisation plans across the estate.

 

What challenges do you face with energy use and consumption across NHM’s estate?

Our estate includes the South Kensington Museum, the Tring Museum, and storage facility in Wandsworth.

Listed Buildings and Heritage Constraints

Many of our Museum buildings, including Grade I listed spaces, must maintain strict environmental conditions to protect sensitive collections. Even small fluctuations can risk deterioration, so any upgrades must operate within heritage and conservation requirements.

Data Collection, Accuracy and Reporting

Different generations of plant, sensors and meters across South Kensington, Tring and Wandsworth make consistent data collection challenging. Improving this requires Building Management System (BMS) and controls upgrades.

Replacing Inefficient Equipment in Historic Spaces

Restricted access routes, limited roof loading and tight plantrooms make installing modern equipment complex. Every intervention, from duct runs to secondary glazing, requires careful sequencing to maintain environmental stability throughout the project.

 

You recently upgraded your Combined Heat and Power (CHP) energy centre; how was the process and what benefits have you seen?

’Project Chrysalis’ was the Museum’s most transformative energy infrastructure project, a £14m investment, which we completed in June 2024. This involved modernising our Energy Centre, which delivers a fully integrated tri-generation scheme that provides our South Kensington site with power, heat and cooling.

Work included a replacement 2.0 MW CHP engine and additional absorption cooling, as well as new technologies for us, such as 1 MW electric chiller, and integrated air‑ and water‑source heat pumps, all supported by SCADA‑based monitoring and controls to optimise operation. While still bedding in, the trigeneration system is already improving heat recovery, reducing imported electricity, and increasing resilience for controlled environments. It is also giving us more detailed operational data to support long‑term optimisation.

 

What are the Museum’s short and long‑term priorities for reducing carbon emissions across its estate?

The Museum is aiming to reduce emissions across its estate, guided by an ambition to reach Net Zero by 2035. This informs how we prioritise operational changes and future infrastructure planning.

Strengthening the existing estate

Across South Kensington and Tring, we’re focusing on improving system performance and lowering energy use. Our Heat Decarbonisation Plans, supported by a £100k Salix grant at South Kensington, helped to identify outdated plant, refine controls and highlight where low‑carbon technologies could have the most impact. We’re reducing energy intensity through targeted upgrades to fans, pumps, insulation, BMS functionality and LED lighting, alongside secondary glazing where heritage constraints allow.

We continue to improve and adapt our South Kensington Energy Centre to maximise energy benefits. Improving data and controls remains essential. We’re enhancing BMS capability, expanding intelligent monitoring, and trialling long‑range, low‑power sub‑metering suited to heritage spaces. These upgrades support more accurate operation and day‑to‑day optimisation across the estate.

Shaping the Future Estate

A major future development is the new science and digitisation centre at Thames Valley Science Park (TVSP) – the Museum’s next-generation science hub. Designed for resilience and energy efficiency, the building will bring together 28 million specimens in high‑performance storage alongside labs, conservation facilities and digitisation suites. Consolidating these environmental loads in a purpose‑built facility will reduce future energy intensity and support world‑class research as the Museum grows.

 

Are you exploring new opportunities to decarbonise heat?

Yes, we are implementing a number of measures across the estate.

Optimising existing plant and equipment

We are refining heating performance through integrated Air Source and Water Source Heat Pump units, upgraded plant, and SCADA based sequencing. We are also exploring lower‑temperature, variable‑flow loops to support future heat‑pump efficiency while maintaining stable environmental conditions.

Fabric‑first improvements

Where heritage allows, we are reducing heat demand through secondary glazing, roof replacement and pipework lagging, cutting losses before introducing new technologies.

Designing new fossil‑fuel‑free buildings

New buildings are being designed to operate without fossil fuels from the outset. The Urban Nature Project’s Nature Activity Centre and Garden Kitchen use sustainable materials, passive design and heat pumps to deliver efficient environmental control while supporting biodiversity and low‑carbon estate growth.

 

What advice would you give to institutions with similar challenges who want to upgrade low carbon energy infrastructure?

In my experience, there are three key areas to consider.

Plan for access

Heritage constraints often limit installation routes; our CHP had to be delivered in sections and rebuilt in a confined plantroom.

Prioritise controls

Real performance comes from commissioning, metering, and SCADA integration as much as from the plant itself.

Consider hybrid systems

Combining CHP with heat pumps and efficient electric chilling provides operational flexibility as demands and external conditions change.

 

What is your priority in managing the collections and your carbon reduction plan?

Energy at the Museum is ultimately about protecting what matters most. Every adjustment to a pump, control sequence or piece of plant helps maintain the delicate environments that safeguard our 80 million specimens. As we upgrade systems, modernise plants and plan new spaces, the principle stays the same: the collections come first. And as we continue improving the performance of our estate, each step helps us move toward our ambition of reaching Net Zero by 2035; ensuring these environments remain stable and ready for the next generation.