The High Museum of Art is a mainstay of culture and community in Atlanta. Their recent project with the sustainable building nonprofit Southface Institute showcases how the museum cares for the planet too.
The High has taken several steps to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions over the years, including replacing gallery lighting with LED bulbs. With funding and technical assistance from Southface’s GoodUse program, this sustainability work extended to the building’s exterior this year. In all, 92 flood lights on the front walkways and facade and 70 stairwell wall sconces were upgraded to LEDs.
This simple change is projected to cut the museum’s energy use by 23,986 kWh and carbon emissions by 17.03 metric tons annually. That means that the High will avert the same amount of carbon emissions produced by driving a gas-powered vehicle more than 43,000 miles each year.
The environmental impact is only part of the story. As the High Museum’s Associate Director of Foundation and Government Relations Elana Grossman remarked, “The piazza that received the lighting upgrade is shared with the Alliance Theater and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. We all use this outside space. At night, now, it is safer for our visitors to get around.”
This GoodUse project is also estimated to lower the High Museum’s energy bills by $3,598 annually, freeing up funds that they can reinvest in exhibitions, collections, and programs. Benefits like these will ripple throughout the community for years to come.