EN 15759-1:2011

Conservation of cultural property - Indoor climate - Part 1: Guidelines for heating churches, chapels and other places of worship

This European Standard provides guidelines for the selection of heating strategies and heating systems in churches, chapels and other places of worship such as mosques and synagogues, in order to prevent damage to cultural property while at the same time creating an indoor climate that allows for a sustainable use of these buildings. It applies to most kinds of places of worship regardless of size and construction. This European Standard applies not only to the introduction of new heating systems but also to the replacement of old ones.
This European Standard applies to buildings that are part of cultural heritage or that house cultural heritage objects. This European Standard deals with indoor climate conditions, heating strategies and technical solutions for their implementation but not with the technical equipment itself.

Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Raumklima - Teil 1: Leitfäden für die Beheizung von Andachtsstätten

Diese Europäische Norm stellt Leitfäden bereit für die Wahl von Beheizungsarten und Heizungssystemen in Kirchen, Kapellen und anderen Andachtsstätten wie Moscheen und Synagogen, um Schaden an Kulturgut abzuwenden und gleichzeitig ein Raumklima zu schaffen, das eine nachhaltige Nutzung dieser Bauwerke erlaubt. Sie ist auf die meisten Arten von Andachtsstätten anwendbar, unabhängig von deren Größe und Bauart. Diese Europäische Norm ist nicht nur auf den Einbau neuer Heizsysteme, sondern gleichermaßen  auf das Ersetzen alter Heizungen anwendbar.
Diese Europäische Norm bezieht sich auf Bauwerke, die Teil des Kulturerbes sind oder Gegenstände des Kulturerbes beherbergen. Die Europäische Norm befasst sich mit dem Raumklima, mit Beheizungsarten und technischen Lösungen für deren Umsetzung, aber nicht mit den technischen Anlagen und Geräten selbst.

Conservation des biens culturels - Environnement intérieur - Partie 1 : Recommandations pour le chauffage des églises, chapelles et autres édifices cultuels

La présente Norme européenne fournit des recommandations permettant de choisir des stratégies et systèmes de chauffage pour les églises, chapelles et autres édifices cultuels tels que les mosquées et les synagogues afin de prévenir la détérioration du bien culturel tout en créant un climat intérieur permettant l'utilisation de ces édifices dans une optique de développement durable. Elle s'applique à la plupart des édifices cultuels, quelles que soient leur taille et leur construction. La présente Norme européenne ne s'applique pas uniquement à l'installation de nouveaux systèmes de chauffage mais également au remplacement des anciens.
Elle s'applique aux édifices faisant partie du patrimoine culturel ou abritant des biens relevant du patrimoine culturel. La présente Norme européenne traite des conditions relatives au climat intérieur, des stratégies de chauffage et des solutions techniques de mise en oeuvre mais elle n'aborde pas les équipements techniques proprement dits.

Ohranjanje kulturne dediščine - Notranje okolje - 1. del: Smernice za ogrevanje verskih objektov

Cilj je zagotoviti priporočila za ogrevanje zgodovinskih cerkva, da se prepreči škoda na zgradbah in njihovi vsebini.
i. za ohranitveno ogrevanje, kjer je edina skrb ohranitev zgodovinskih zgradb in njihove vsebine, brez skrbi za toplotno udobje ljudi;
ii. za ogrevanje za toplotno udobje, kjer je poudarek na optimalnem ravnotežju med sprejemljivim udobjem za tiste, ki uporabljajo cerkev, in mejnim tveganjem za zgodovinsko zgradbo in njeno vsebino;
iii. pri obeh ogrevalnih strategijah se upošteva vpliv na strukture zgradbe in reverzibilnost.
Prezračevanje ni zajeto v tem standardu.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 22-Nov-2011
• Withdrawal Date: 30-May-2012
• ICS: 97.195 - Items of art and handicrafts. Cultural property and heritage
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 346 - Conservation of cultural property
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 346/WG 7 - Specifying and measuring Indoor/outdoor climate
• Current Stage: 9093 - Decision to confirm - Review Enquiry
• Start Date: 23-May-2023
• Completion Date: 14-Apr-2025
• Ref Project: SIST EN 15759-1:2012 - Conservation of cultural property - Indoor climate - Part 1: Guidelines for heating churches, chapels and other places of worship

Overview

EN 15759-1:2011 - published by CEN - provides guidance on heating churches, chapels and other places of worship to protect building fabric and cultural property while enabling sustainable use. The standard focuses on indoor climate management for heritage buildings (including mosques and synagogues), and applies to both installation of new heating systems and replacement of existing ones. It addresses indoor climate conditions, heating strategies and technical approaches for implementation, but does not specify technical equipment.

Key Topics

• Scope and purpose
  • Conservation of cultural property through appropriate indoor climate control in places of worship.
  • Applicable to buildings that are part of cultural heritage or that house cultural heritage objects.
• Assessment
  • Evaluate building structure, interiors, contents, patterns of use and air exchange before intervention.
• Indoor climate specification
  • Define climate targets for conservation and for thermal comfort, including relative humidity, temperature and air movement considerations.
  • Consider historic indoor climate and establish appropriate compromise when conservation and comfort conflict.
• Heating strategies
  • Options such as no heating, conservation heating, and heating for thermal comfort.
  • Spatial strategies: general (whole building) vs local heating (e.g., pew or localized systems).
  • Temporal strategies: continuous, intermittent and mixed-mode heating.
• Technical solutions & application
  • Guidance on warm-air, infrared, radiators, wall and underfloor heating, pew heating and distribution approaches.
  • Advice on distribution in space and time to minimize risk to heritage materials.
• Implementation & evaluation
  • Steps for design, installation, commissioning and post-installation evaluation against conservation and comfort specifications.
• Sustainability
  • Energy efficiency, environmental impact and long-term maintenance considerations are integral to decision-making.

Applications

Who uses EN 15759-1:2011:

• Conservation professionals, heritage managers and museum advisers
• Architects and engineers specifying HVAC for historic buildings
• Facility managers and church authorities planning heating upgrades
• Contractors bidding on retrofits in heritage contexts

Practical uses:

• Choosing a heating strategy that prevents material damage (e.g., mold, salt migration, cracking)
• Preparing specifications for refurbishment or replacement of heating systems
• Balancing visitor and worshipper comfort with preservation goals
• Informing monitoring plans and performance evaluation after installation

Related Standards

• EN 15759-2 (Part 2) - ventilation considerations for indoor climate in cultural heritage buildings (referenced as the companion document)
• Standards and guidance developed by CEN/TC 346 (Conservation of cultural property)

Keywords: EN 15759-1:2011, conservation of cultural property, indoor climate, heating churches, places of worship, heating strategies, conservation heating, thermal comfort, heritage buildings, CEN.

Standards Content (Sample)

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Raumklima - Teil 1: Leitfäden für die Beheizung von AndachtsstättenConservation des biens culturels - Environnement intérieur - Partie 1 : Recommandations pour le chauffage des églises, chapelles et autres édifices cultuelsConservation of cultural property - Indoor climate - Part 1: Guidelines for heating churches, chapels and other places of worship97.195Umetniški in obrtniški izdelkiItems of art and handicraftsICS:Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z:EN 15759-1:2011SIST EN 15759-1:2012en,fr,de01-januar-2012SIST EN 15759-1:2012SLOVENSKI
STANDARD
EUROPEAN STANDARD NORME EUROPÉENNE EUROPÄISCHE NORM
EN 15759-1
November 2011 ICS 97.195 English Version
Conservation of cultural property - Indoor climate - Part 1: Guidelines for heating churches, chapels and other places of worship
Conservation des biens culturels - Environnement intérieur - Partie 1 : Recommandations pour le chauffage des églises, chapelles et autres édifices cultuels
Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Raumklima - Teil 1: Leitfäden für die Beheizung von Andachtsstätten This European Standard was approved by CEN on 8 October 2011.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre:
Avenue Marnix 17,
B-1000 Brussels © 2011 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members. Ref. No. EN 15759-1:2011: ESIST EN 15759-1:2012

Flow chart giving an overview of the standard . 21Bibliography . 22 SIST EN 15759-1:2012

a) assessment of the building, its interior and contents; b) determine an indoor climate specification with respect to conservation and thermal comfort; c) determine an appropriate heating strategy; d) select and design an appropriate heating system; e) implement the proposed changes; f) evaluate the effectiveness of the heating system with respect to the specification. This is the first standard in a series of standards on indoor climate and climate control in cultural heritage buildings. The air exchange of a building has a fundamental influence on its indoor climate and climate control; general considerations are given in Clause 5. Ventilation will be dealt with fully in the second part of the series of standards on indoor climate in cultural heritage buildings, prEN 15759-2, Conservation of cultural property — Indoor climate — Part 2: Ventilation. SIST EN 15759-1:2012

1) Under publication. SIST EN 15759-1:2012

3.11 microclimate climate in part of a building or a room where the climate differs from the surrounding climate 3.12 mixed mode heating combination of continuous and intermittent heating, where the building is continually kept at a low temperature and heated to a higher temperature only when it is used 3.13 natural indoor climate indoor climate of a building without heating, forced ventilation or any other kind of active climate control 3.14 outdoor climate climate outside of a building 3.15 target range of RH variations range of RH variations that must be maintained to avoid climate induced damages 3.16 thermal comfort state of mind that expresses satisfaction with the surrounding environment
3.17 thermal stratification vertical layering of air temperatures in a building SIST EN 15759-1:2012

 parts of the building would be at risk if the heating strategy or heating system was altered. For these purposes, a condition survey of the building is required. The European Standard prEN 16096 provides guidelines for condition survey of immovable cultural heritage objects. In the survey, special attention shall be paid to the building envelope: moisture transport, air tightness and thermal insulation. The survey shall also include the condition and functionality of existing heating installations. 5.2 Building interiors and contents The condition of the surface decoration and significant contents shall be surveyed. The European Standard prEN 16095 provides guidelines on condition report, visual inspection and description of movable cultural heritage. In the survey, special attention shall be paid to the condition of wall paintings, some of which may be hidden under layers of plaster or paint, and to that of stone monuments, stained glass, painted and unpainted woodwork, canvas paintings, textiles (e.g. banners), metalwork (e.g. lecterns and brasses) and objects of mixed materials such as organs. 5.3 Use of the building The initial assessment shall include a description of the heating demand in relation to the present and planned use of the building, and is to take into account patterns of worship and visiting; liturgical arrangements, performances and secular activities. 5.4 Air exchange The air exchange of a building, whether it is due to mechanical ventilation, natural ventilation or infiltration, (leakage) can have a significant influence on the indoor climate and hence on climate control decision-making. Although this standard is limited to heating, it is essential to consider the two in tandem. When choosing a heating strategy and designing a heating system, the following aspects of air exchange shall be taken into account:  unnecessary air exchange will increase both energy and power demand in order to counteract its effects on temperature and/or humidity;  depending on outdoor climate conditions in relation to indoor conditions, air exchange can sometimes reduce humidity levels, sometimes having the reverse effect; therefore it has to be considered in parallel with heating strategies designed to control internal humidity;  controlled ventilation can be an alternative to heating when high humidity is a problem;  air exchange creates air motions that may affect conditions both for thermal comfort and for conservation. 6 Specification for indoor climate 6.1 Determine the appropriate indoor climate In order to determine the appropriate indoor climate with respect to conservation and thermal comfort, the following steps shall be taken: a) establish the historic indoor climate; b) determine an indoor climate specification for conservation; c) determine an indoor climate specification for thermal comfort; SIST EN 15759-1:2012

b) For materials other than those covered in EN 15757 such as metals and glass and in the event of salt crystallisation, an expert shall be consulted to adjust the target range. c) The allowable rate of change in RH shall be determined by an expert. Rapid changes in RH lead to gradients of moisture contents across materials and corresponding differential dimensional response resulting in stress. Slow changes in RH bring about a more uniform moisture distribution within the materials but still cause an overall dimensional response which may lead to stress development in objects and design layers restrained in their movement. d) Determine an u
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