Director's Message: Fuel Price Solutions – The Long and Short of It

Fuel price reduction by energy-efficient vehicles, oil drilling, speed limits, or ethanol?
Fuel price reduction by energy-efficient vehicles, oil drilling, speed limits, or ethanol?

Over the past few months, high oil and gasoline prices have had pundits and politicians flailing away about what we should do.  On the one hand, some believe the United States is sitting on countless oil deposits, and the quickest, best solution is to poke holes in the ground and watch gas prices fall. On the other hand, weathered industry professionals, such as retired oil baron, T. Boone Pickens, realize an immediate need for independence from oil, whether domestic or foreign.  In Pickens’ recently purchased TV spots, he clearly states that “we can’t drill our way out of this emergency,” and in a recent interview with CNN’s Lou Dobbs he said America should utilize its cleaner, cheaper, abundant resources, such as natural gas, wind and solar power.

The U.S. consumes about 21 million barrels of oil per day (mbd) – roughly 25 percent of total world oil production.  We import almost two-thirds of what we use (14 mbd ) from foreign countries.  The cost of these imports is approaching $2 billion per day ($700 billion per year at $136 per barrel).  This is a significant drain, both on the finances of individual households and on our national economic security.

What are the near term (three to five-year) options?

Read more

FSEC to Host Workshop for National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day

Cocoa, FL – The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) will host an alternative fuel workshop on October 3, 2008, as part of the National Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Odyssey Day.

The National AFV Odyssey Day is a nationwide event being held in 86 different locations throughout the U.S. this year. Coordinated by the National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Training Consortium (NAFTC) in a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Clean Cities Program, the goal of this national program is to promote the awareness and use of AFVs, as well as promote energy conservation and independence for the U.S.

The Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition, a Florida chapter of the U.S. DOE Clean Cities Program, has coordinated and organized the Advancing the Choice alternative fuel workshop locally as part of this national event. The workshop will feature presentations and discussions about AFV ownership opportunities, biodiesel production, quality standards for fuel grade, utilizing biodiesel in current vehicles, and construction of biodiesel fueling stations. Guests will also be able to test drive AFVs and speak with auto manufacturers and industry experts at this event.

The workshop will run from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and the cost to attend is $10. Space is limited, so please register early at www.floridaenergycenter.org/go/afv4.

For more information about this workshop please contact FSEC researcher Bill Young at (321) 638-1443, or visit www.clean-cities.org.

www.MyFloridaGreenBuilding.info

MyFloridaGreenBuilding.info Web Site

The MyFloridaGreenBuilding.info Web site offers energy-efficiency tips for new construction and existing homes, information on local green building programs, green rating systems, rebates and incentives, calculators, and case studies on certified green buildings in Florida.

This  Web site was developed by FSEC, directed by the Florida Building Commission and the Department of Community Affairs, to give Floridians a green buildings Web site that promotes energy efficiency and the benefits of building green.

FSEC’s PV Disaster Trailer Powers Vehicles at KSC

The PV trailer successfully charged each of KSC's Low Speed Electric Vehicles (LSEV), one at a time. These LSEV’s support shuttle processing operations, launch pad modifications and everyday support requirements.
The PV trailer successfully charged each of KSC's Low Speed Electric Vehicles (LSEV), one at a time. These LSEVs support shuttle processing operations, launch pad modifications and everyday support requirements.

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) recently lent its photovoltaic (PV) generator trailer to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to power a Low Speed Electric Vehicle (LSEV) charging station on site. The fleet coordinator, Bruce Chesson, wanted to take energy efficiency and conservation at KSC one step further by adding a solar-powered charging station to the two existing stations, both already powered by electricity from the utility grid.

FSEC’s PV trailer is typically used to provide power for emergency operations during disaster relief, but KSC fleet officials wanted to determine if the LSEVs could be effectively powered by the 440-watt trailer system. These LSEVs support shuttle processing operations, launch pad modifications and everyday support requirements. FSECs stand-alone trailer PV system successfully charged each of the six LSEVs in the fleet, one at a time.

Although KSC already uses PV technology to power several systems around the site, it has never been used to support electric vehicle transportation. KSC would like to partner with local energy providers to construct similar charging stations around the  Space Center.

FSEC and UCF Researchers Traveling to Romania to Participate in NSF-Funded Workshop

Through collaboration between the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Nanoscience Technology Center (NSTC) and the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a group of researchers from both UCF institutes will travel to Romania in June 2009 to participate in a five-day workshop exploring new developments in nanoscience and solar energy. The goal of this workshop is to formulate ideas about how to stimulate and give direction to future research collaborations between Romanian and UCF research teams.

Read more