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La Corona LbNA #67962 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:3geoscouts
Plant date:Dec 16, 2014
Location: 600 Q Street
City:Sacramento
County:Sacramento
State:California
Boxes:1
Found by: Baroncaveyeti
Last found:Jan 11, 2016
Status:Far
Last edited:Dec 16, 2014
Geocache Description:


This is an urban letterbox cache that looks at one of the interesting buildings in Sacramento

Start at the South East corner of 6th & Q Streets. Walk 20 paces east until you reach a small red Japanese maple on your right. Now turn north.

The building directly in front of where you are standing is one of the most efficient utility plants in the United States. It supplies steam and chilled water to nearly 4 million square feet of offices located in 2 dozen buildings in Sacramento owned by the State of California.

At night the parts of the building that provide heat glow red and the parts that help provide chilled water glow blue.

State of California - Central Utility Plant

One of the 'coolest' things about new central utility plant is the 4.2 million gallon Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Tank filled with water. It turns out that water is good at storing energy in the form of heat & coolness...so at night when energy costs and demand are low, the utility plant chills the water. Then during the day when the air conditioners serving the 4.2 million square feet of state office buildings turn on, the central utility plant uses the chilled water to keep the buildings cool.

The building has received many awards including a SacTown Magazine’s Best of the City Award. It is a difficult thing to produce such a highly efficient industrial complex that fits so well into the low-rise commercial/residential neighborhood of 6th & Q.

but wait....the architects that designed the building are working on the other side of the window in the building behind you, on the south side of the street and the letterbox that you are seeking is under at the base of the red maple tree. Wave hi to Andy on the other side of the glass as you make an impression of hand carved stamp, 'La Corona'. La Corona and the top of the TES tank were both inspired by the pattern created by a single drop of water.

Enjoy.