2007
A Visit to the California Governor's Inaugural
On January 4, staff members of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD) of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), and other Lab staff, journeyed to Sacramento to participate in the pre-inaugural festivities marking the second term of California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. An all-day fair held on the lawn in front of the state capital was an opportunity for the public to learn something about California's industries, agriculture, and educational and research institutions.
Berkeley Lab's EETD was invited to show off some of the energy-efficient technologies it has developed, which not only reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions efficiently, but also help the state's industries create jobs and maintain a competitive edge in the world marketplace. These technologies include cool roofing materials to reduce air conditioning energy use, lighting and automatic control systems to increase building energy efficiency, and technologies to reduce standby power loss in appliances.
Development of these technologies were funded by the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research program, the U.S. Department of Energy, and private partners, among other sources.
During the course of the day, EETD volunteers met the general public, and a few notable figures, including the Governor's wife, Maria Schriver, and former Secretary of State George Schultz.
EETD extends thanks to Hashem Akbari, Marcy Beck, Dennis DiBartolomeo, Alan Meier, Francis Rubinstein, David Watson for their participation, and JoAnne Lambert and Ronnie Woods for their crucial logistical coordination.
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division displayed several energy-efficient technologies and research areas at the inauguration of California's Governor Schwarzenegger in Sacramento on January 4.
Left: EETD's Francis Rubinstein (left) demonstrates a new lighting control technology called WiLight to viewers, including a delighted child. A handheld click-on switch, which is part of this technology, uses no battery power—it converts the mechanical energy of the hand's clicking action into a signal that turns the lights halfway on, fully on, or off.
Right: Former professional basketball star Vlade Divacs looks on as Rubinstein explains his work.
Left: David Watson (left) of EETD describes automated demand response technologies, which can automatically reduce non-essential power use in commercial buildings during electric grid emergencies. See drrc.lbl.gov for more information.
Right: Don Medley, Berkeley Lab's Government Affairs Director (right) describes the work of the Lab to Patti Garamendi, wife of Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, and Michelle Moskowitz, Director Government Affairs at UC Berkeley.
Left: EETD's Howdy Goudey (left) shows off a new superwindow developed by EETD in cooperation with Sage Electrochromics.
Right: Hashem Akbari, head of EETD's Heat Islands Group, readies himself to meet the public and show off cool colors roofing materials developed by his group in cooperation with America's roofing materials industry. Cool colors technology can reduce air conditioning electricity use and greenhouse gas emissions, and ultimately help cool off the urban heat island. See coolcolors.lbl.gov for more information.
Hashem Akbari demonstrates cool colors roofing materials to former Secretary of State George Schultz (left photo), and to Maria Schriver, wife of Governor Schwarzenegger.
Alan Meier of EETD (on the right in the right-hand photo) discusses how to reduce standby power use in household appliances.
