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Science Center Station

View of the Science Center

The Science Center monitors outside conditions as well as its consumption of energy.

Record Type: Station

Activation Date: Jan. 1, 1999

Archived Data: Sensor Data - Science Center Station

Description: The Science Center was built in 1999 to incorporate “smart” and “green” features, including a design to maximize natural light and heating, the best insulation available, composting toilets, and many others. In the effort to make the building design as environmentally aware as possible, the building and surrounding grounds incorporate an environmental monitoring station, three arrays of solar panels, and a seismograph.

The building has monitors which measure air temperature and relative humidity, as well as energy use of the building and water discharge (which allows the Black Rock Forest staff to measure how much water is saved through the composting toilets). The thirty solar panels which form the roof for the solar pavilion and the eight which form the roof of the stairs walkways are angled so that snow will slide right off of them to maximize energy production in the winter, while the forty solar panels on the roof of the Science Center produce most of the energy in the summer.

About half of the energy required to run the Science Center comes from solar energy. The seismograph lays on the bedrock outside of the Science Center and measures movement in the rock. The data are available in real time on Lamont’s website.

Keyword: Environmental Monitoring Stations