Da Vinci
Science Center
Da Vinci Science Center
The Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology Demonstrates Solar Power in Action with Exhibit and Installation
As a national award-winning science center, Da Vinci Science Center brings science to life through fun and approachable experiences for more than 150,000 visitors of all ages and backgrounds each year. The Science Center has a long tradition of partnering with local school districts and providing science education for schools and families in low-income communities.
On the horizon is a new, 71,000-square-foot facility that will double in size to the current facility, provide three times the exhibit space and twice the educational programming space. The Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion is slated to open in downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania in the spring of 2024.
A key component of this new building will be an exhibit funded by All Points North Foundation that demonstrates the impact of solar energy. The interactive exhibit, located in the Science in the Making Gallery, will feature a powerful spotlight that shines down from above on a large mirror mounted on a movable gimbal. Visitors will be able to manipulate the mirror to direct the beam of light toward a mural depicting a neighborhood. Embedded in the neighborhood mural will be several small solar panels that will give the impression of illuminated windows when the beam of light passes over them. The exhibit will demonstrate how solar panels produce electricity and how solar power is becoming an ever more important part of the electrical grid. Visitors will explore the potential for solar energy to be a leading source of power for homes, businesses, and communities.
The new building will also include roof-mounted photovoltaic solar system provided by PPL Electric Utilities, the service provider in the region, that will lead to a projected $4,000 in energy savings a year for Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion. Visitors will be able to see how much energy is produced by the solar panels via a meter near the solar exhibit.
For more information: www.davincisciencecenter.org
Photo credit: Da Vinci Science Center
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All Points North Foundation provides grants for U.S.-based projects and initiatives that support our priorities: improving public middle school education and teacher training, and implementing effective solar programs and/or projects.
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