Pacific Energy Center
Pacific Energy Center
California utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is educating lists customers at the recently opened Pacific Energy Center.
Visitors can experiment, for example, with a model of a house and landscaping to find the best balance of daylight and tree shade for low electricity bills, or learn about the latest energy-saving designs of appliances at the station "Challenge House 2000".
The center also caters to the needs of architects, builders etc. A "heliodon" station, for example, simulates the effect of sunlight on a building at any time of the day or the year. The Lighting Classroom displays a wide variety of lamps and fixtures. At the Commercial Design Lab and Residential Systems Lab, professionals are introduced to new energy-saving equipment and designs. There is also a Resource Center that contains up-to-the-minute information about products and techniques for buildings.