To promote their Power Smart month of October, BC Hydro has launched an interesting public campaign for energy efficiency by converting two shipping containers into live experimental spaces in Vancouver. For fours day, actors will live in the 3×6 meter containers “to showcase how – and how not – to live and work in an energy-efficient manner.” The two containers are meant to depict the extreme opposites of energy consumption and show the simple steps people can take to increase their efficiency. As the containers are fully glazed on one side, passersby can see how the actors go about their daily routines – one completely wasteful with a constantly blasting television and all the lights on, while the other actor uses natural daylight for illumination and adds extra layers of clothing for warmth. Displays are fixed to the exterior of each container to provide simulated consumption readings, allowing the public to see the difference in the energy use when comparing energy-efficient living to inefficient and wasteful behavior.
More about the experiment after the break.
“We wanted to make energy efficiency highly visible and get the attention of people on their way to and from work and shopping,” said Lisa Coltart, BC Hydro’s executive director of Power Smart and Customer Care. “Efficient living and working boils down to being aware of how you consume electricity and the simple behavioural changes you can make. This display will demonstrate that even the smallest changes can make a substantial difference if they are practised by everyone across the province in their homes and offices.”
“The efficient cube condo is expected to use about 80 per cent less electricity, demonstrating that being Power Smart is not about sacrificing style and comfort to save energy. It is about using energy efficiently and wisely,” said Coltart. “We have added touch screens and other interactive elements to allow passersby to learn more about the behaviours they see in the cubes and implement them when they get back to their homes and offices.”
