Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo and SunPower Corp Collaborate on Interactive Solar Fountain
Museum Celebrates Earth Day with the Launch of Newest Additions to 'Clean Green Energy Machines' Exhibit
Palo Alto, Calif., Apr. 23, 2009 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for Earth Day festivities, the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo today announced the newest additions to its 'Clean Green Energy Machines' exhibition, which includes an interactive solar fountain, donated by SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems.
"We are once again celebrating Earth Day by offering several new exhibits that allow curious minds to explore the science behind the renewable energy," said John Aikin, Director of the Junior Museum & Zoo at the Museum. "We are especially proud to showcase our new solar fountain, which enables our visitors to manipulate the solar panel to generate more or less power to the fountain. We are pleased to collaborate with SunPower, a local company, in providing the solar power technology."
"Earth Day is an important opportunity to teach children of all ages the benefits of all renewable energy technologies," said Julie Blunden, vice president of public policy and corporate communications. "It is our responsibility to provide them with fun, educational vehicles for learning about positive ways to use clean technology. SunPower is proud to be a part of this exhibition."
In addition to the solar fountain, the exhibit also features the Hydropower machine which generates electricity with water; a Kid-Power machine that requires collaboration with others to make this unique machine work, and a Green City machine, which enables kids to ride a bicycle to power a cityscape. Other interactive exhibits include the Wind Power machine with tiny turbines, providing a light bulb that glows brighter the harder a child blows, or the indoor Solar Power machine where kids can experiment with electricity and wiring circuits. The family can also cuddle up under the Storytelling Tree to read a book or climb inside a cave to play with woodland puppets.
The new exhibits will be launched at a member's only event on Friday, April 24. Julie Blunden from SunPower will dedicate the solar fountain. The exhibit will open to the public on Saturday, April 25. All visitors under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult. While admission is free, donations are requested.
The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo is located at 1451 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed on Mondays. For more information, please visit www.cityofpaloalto.org/jmz or call (650) 329-2111.
About the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
The Junior Museum & Zoo is a place where children and their adults come to explore, discover, create and play. Through hands-on science exhibits and a diverse community of live animals, we seek to inspire a child's curiosity and passion for science and nature.
The Zoo is home to more than 50 types and over 200 individual animals, of which at least half are brought into classrooms as part of the science outreach program with local schools. Some of the animals include bobcats, raccoons, jungle bats, hedgehogs, ferrets, snakes, fish and birds.
The Junior Museum & Zoo offers a menagerie of science programs for schools and community groups, as well as classes, summer camps and birthday parties for families.
The Friends of the Palo A lot Junior Museum & Zoo are a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to supporting and enhancing the Junior Museum & Zoo. For more information, please visit www.friendsjmz.org or call (650) 326-6338.
About SunPower
SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) designs, manufactures and delivers high-performance solar electric systems worldwide for residential, commercial and utility-scale power plant customers. SunPower high-efficiency solar cells and solar panels generate up to 50 percent more power than conventional solar technologies and have a uniquely attractive, all-black appearance. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.
SunPower is a registered trademark of SunPower Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Editor's Note: For a sneak preview, please contact Tina Cosby at the Museum for a personal guide to all of the new, interactive exhibits, including the solar fountain.