MassCEC Highlights New "Energized" Exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today highlighted the recent completion of the Museum of Science’s Energized! exhibit, featuring renewable energy innovation in Massachusetts. MassCEC encourages people throughout Massachusetts to visit the exhibit this holiday season and throughout the year to learn about renewable energy.

Energized! features an array of hands-on exhibits that give visitors a first-hand look into renewable energy. In the Solar House interactive, visitors can test different angles for solar panels at simulated times of day, and the Solar Collector exhibit allows visitors to focus light and mirrors to show how concentrated solar works. Visitors can also view live data monitors that display the energy produced by solar photovoltaics on the museum’s roof and the energy used by the Theater of Electricity (TOE) in the Sun to Stage exhibit. 

Other exhibits in Energized! include Power Boston, where visitors can play with different energy sources to power the city of Boston, and Energy Innovations, featuring a variety of innovative new energy technologies, including three in New England.

Additionally Energized! features the Energy Tracker, an interactive touch screen display developed by Shoothill Ltd, a Microsoft Partner and leading technology visualization company, that allows visitors to view and zoom in on renewable energy projects in Massachusetts including: advanced biomass power conversion, fuel cell, hydroelectric, landfill gas, photovoltaic, and wind energy. The map will be updated every six months using data from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Production Tracking System. The interactive exhibit is enhanced by a 32-inch 3M Multi-Touch display that is operated by using hand gesturing to zoom in, out and around the map, to select the type of alternative energy, and to select the year. The map can also be viewed at: http://www.mos.org/energized/. MassCEC provided the Museum of Science a $637,428 grant to build the various exhibits, develop the Energized! website, and host the Current Science & Technology renewable energy news presentations. 

“The Energized! Exhibits allow visitors to learn the valuable lesson of how clean, renewable energy is already impacting our economy, environment and society,” said MassCEC Executive Director Patrick Cloney. “I hope that these exhibits will help spur interest and action in clean energy among people of all ages.” 

According to Paul Fontaine, Museum of Science Vice President of Education, Energized! reflects the Museum’s commitment to STEM education. “Green Technology is a vital part of the Massachusetts economy.  This timely exhibit helps showcase the diversity of sustainable energy options available today, new technologies that are on the horizon and the science behind these innovations.  We appreciate MassCEC’s support of this new exhibit,” said 

Clean energy has made a significant impact on the Massachusetts economy in recent years and now employs more than 64,000 people, according to the 2011 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report. The report identified 4,909 clean energy companies across the state that saw a 6.7 percent increase in jobs between July 2010 to July 2011.