CEC's How-To Videos on Energy Use and Efficiency

Produced by the California Energy Commission, this video series is available free of charge at

www.energyvideos.com. The videos may be viewed online using Windows Media Player, ReaPlayer, or Quick Time Player. The series is also available from the CEC on DVD.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) Web site includes a library of over 100 videos, ranging from one to 15 minutes long, addressing energy use and efficiency. The project is funded by a combination of government and private-sector money and, although the videos are aimed at a California audience, the narrators clearly define which information applies only to that group. A portion of the collection is aimed at consumers and offers an introduction to energy-efficient products and technologies. Most of the videos, though, were designed for use by energy professionals and offer more sophisticated coverage of energy and code issues. These videos address both residential and nonresidential topics, as well as the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). Even the most advanced videos are easy to follow and appropriate for a lay audience.

The videos, consisting mainly of interviews, are unpolished and often feel incomplete. The effort is admirable, however, and the collection is a solid introduction to a range of energy-related topics. The videos are popular: CEC reports over 4,000 plays each month, and the collection recently won

Best of Show at the U.S. Department of Energy’s national workshop for state building codes.

– JB