UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
Center 4 Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technology

Center 4 Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technology

Date: Sun, 23 Jan 1994 17:50:29 -0800 Reply-To: "Arthur R. McGee" Sender: Technology Transfer in International Development Subject: CREST

------------------------------------------------------------- Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology

-------------------------------------------------------------

November 1, 1993

DESCRIPTION

=========== The Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST) is a 10,000 square foot educational resource center, hands-on demonstration laboratory, and training facility opening in 1994. CREST focuses on renewable energy, energy efficiency, the environment, and sustainable development. One of CREST's primary functions is to explore and demonstrate the use of advanced information and communication technologies in these fields.

WHO

=== CREST was created by the Solar Energy Research and Education Foundation, a Washington-based, tax-exempt non-profit organization. CREST also works closely with, and is secretariat of, the TerraMedia Collaborative, an international coalition of institutions dedicated to producing interactive multimedia applications for training and education in the fields of energy and the environment.

MISSION

======= CREST has been established to demonstrate renewable energy and energy efficiency technology at work today and to encourage its use through hands-on interaction and education. CREST will target several audiences including government decision makers, utilities, educators, students, non-governmental organizations, architects, engineers, and librarians.

STRATEGY

======== CREST takes a three-faceted approach to achieving its mission:

* On-Site: The Center itself along with affiliated facilities * On-Line: Internet-based and other on-line services * On-Disc: CD-ROM education and training modules

Through a mix of these strategies, a diverse audience can be reached in the most effective and cost-efficient manner possible.

CREST's unique role is to catalyze, monitor, enhance, and publicize the efforts of other institutions in the fields of focus. CREST is in Washington because of the importance of educating decision makers who have a critical role in energy, environment, and development policymaking.

PROJECTS

======== CREST's projects (planned and underway) include:

EnergySource

An Internet-based information archive and server. Currently EnergySource is an ftp site, but soon it will be a gopher, world wide web, and Mosaic server.

TerraMedia Renewable Energy Education Module

CREST completed this interactive multimedia system for the dedication on Earth Day. It is several hundred screens of information on renewable energy and buildings energy conservation including animation, digital video, and interactive exercises. The module will be taken on a tour of 24 cities in Asia and India in 1994 by the U.S. Information Agency.

Renewable Energy Assessment Project (REAP)

An easy-to-use multimedia tool to analyze the potential of renewable energy sources in any region of the United States, and later the world.

Sustainable Energy Multimedia Resource Pool

CREST is compiling a publicly-accessible pool of multimedia resources that have been funded in recent years by federal agencies, organizations, universities, and others in the fields of focus. This pool can then be used by educators, advocates,trainers, and students in creating educational, analytical, and presentation applications.

On-Site Exhibits

CREST's hands-on technology exhibits will include solar technologies, a botanical garden, an electric vehicle charging station, and state-of- the-art green building components.

SPONSORS

======== Sponsors and contributors to CREST include the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Rockefeller Foundation, American Energy Technologies, Solarex Corporation, Solar Service and Supply, Display Tech, Inc., Southern California Edison, Siemens Solar Industries, and the District of Columbia Government.

STATUS

====== CREST was dedicated on Earth Day 1993, and will be open to the public in 1994.

CONTACTS

======== For additional information please contact Michael Totten, CREST Director, at:

CREST 777 North Capitol St, N.E., Suite 805 Washington, DC 20002 USA

E-Mail: totten@digex.net Phone: +1-202-336-8945 Fax: +1-202-408-8536


Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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