Orange County Sustainability Decathlon

In October 2023, PCE got involved in a major production at the OC Fairgrounds: the Orange County Sustainability Decathlon. The Orange County Sustainability Decathlon is a student competition that challenges university teams to design and build solar-powered homes that address climate change and can help accommodate California’s housing needs. The event includes a main stage in the fairground Promenade building, a sustainable village (consisting of the student-built houses), several relaxation/refreshment areas, spaces for family activities, and a few vendor booths from green companies like Tesla.

In terms of production, PCE made a pretty major contribution. In the Promenade building, we built and rigged the main stage. This stage featured two massive Absen PL3.9 LED video walls, several L-Acoustics Kara line arrays, Blackmagic Ursa Broadcast G2 cameras, and a robust lighting package that included Vari-Lite VL3600, Martin MAC Aura PXL, Martin MAC Allure Profile, ETC Source 4WRD Leko, and Seablast 2.0 IP Par lights. In addition to facilitating various aspects of the competition, a few political figures (notably California State Senator Dave Min) stopped by to give speeches.

Outside of the Promenade building, PCE had a hand in bringing the sustainable village to life—quite literally! PCE provided power for many of the sustainable houses on display, and our outdoor lights (including the Chauvet Maverick Storm 1 Spot and SeeDevil 700W LED Balloon Light) made the area easy to navigate. PCE also delivered internet to the grounds from an outdoor control shed.

The Orange County Sustainability Decathlon ran for two weeks, and PCE lighting, audio, and video personnel remained on-hand throughout to help conduct the festivities.