Faced with the challenge of maintaining a century-old building while delivering a modern guest experience, the museum turned to automation. Ryan Markus, Senior Director of Technology and Facilities, led the initiative to bring in Shelly smart devices to help solve persistent maintenance and monitoring issues.
“We needed better insight into systems that didn’t have direct monitoring — like our refrigeration units,” Markus explained.
With Shelly devices connected to temperature sensors and integrated into the Home Assistant platform, the team gained full visibility into temperature-sensitive systems, such as their back-of-house coolers. These areas previously experienced issues like fluctuating temperatures due to cooler doors being left open during deliveries. With Shelly automation, the museum now receives alerts in real-time, allowing for fast corrective action — helping preserve both energy and perishable goods.
“Now, when a cooler door is left open, we get a notification and can act before it becomes a problem,” Markus added.
Precision HVAC Monitoring with Shelly Sensors
While the museum’s building control system offered basic functionality, Markus recognized that more granular data could yield better climate management.
By installing Shelly temperature sensors in locations that were previously hard to monitor — including guest zones and equipment closets — the facilities team can now fine-tune HVAC output with remarkable accuracy. This not only optimizes comfort for guests and staff but also helps reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
“Using Shelly sensors, we’re able to monitor HVAC output temperature directly at the point of air delivery,” said Markus. “This gives us a better understanding of system performance than relying solely on the central BMS.”
Enhancing Guest Privacy with Smart Technology
Innovation at The Mob Museum isn’t limited to behind-the-scenes improvements. The museum also turned to Shelly for help with enhancing the visitor experience. One key area was the Mamava nursing pod, a private space for nursing mothers.
Previously, the pod lacked an indicator system to show occupancy, which often led to unintended interruptions. With a simple but powerful Shelly automation setup, the museum introduced a smart occupancy indicator that activates when the door is locked — ensuring comfort and privacy for nursing mothers.
A Blueprint for Modern Museums
By integrating Shelly smart automation, The Mob Museum has become a model of how historic institutions can adapt to modern challenges. The combination of affordable, retrofit-friendly devices and intelligent automation enables the facility to operate more efficiently while preserving its architectural integrity.
“Shelly gave us the flexibility to deploy sensors and automations exactly where we needed them, without the complexity or cost of a large-scale system upgrade,” Markus concluded.
Shelly is proud to partner with organizations like The Mob Museum to bring the future of building automation to life.
Why Shelly?
✅ Retrofit-friendly for both - historic and modern buildings
✅ Seamless integration with platforms like Home Assistant
✅ Real-time insights into temperature, occupancy, and energy use
✅ Scalable automation for both operational and guest-facing spaces
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