Feature Story

Cloudy Skies Add to Real-World Learning Challenges at EnergyWhiz

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By Sherri Shields

COCOA, Fla.,  May 21, 2018—A blanket of cloud-covered skies can be a real challenge for students to race Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) cars and keep solar oven temperatures sufficient for cooking.

Sam’s Speed Shop from McLane Middle School in Brandon, FL won first place in Race competition, second place in Most Innovative Design, and third place in the Best Design competition in the Blue Division (grades 7&8). Photo: Liza Robles

Although the sun never peeked through the clouds for the EnergyWhiz competitions on Saturday, May 12th, at the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa, the JSS cars were still able to race. “One thing we’ve learned since hosting EnergyWhiz for the past 15 years is that if you want to stay on schedule, you need a backup plan in case the weather doesn’t cooperate,” said Susan Schleith, K-12 Education program director. “Battery backup is now an essential part of the car design, for situations like this.”

Female student from Saturn Elementary School and a male student prepare to race their Junior Solar Sprint cars, which were modified to run on batteries instead of solar due to the cloudy sky.
Female student from Students prepare to race their Junior Solar Sprint cars, which were modified to run on batteries instead of solar due to the cloudy sky. Photo: Leon Flowers

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FPL Offers 50%* Discount Toward Training at Florida Solar Energy Center

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In an effort to make professional training for the installation of solar water heating (SWH) and photovoltaic (PV) solar systems more accessible to licensed electrical, plumbing, and solar contractors and their employees, Florida Power & Light Company is offering a discount for training classes conducted by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) in Cocoa, Florida.

How it works:
1. Visit www.FPL.com/trainingdiscount and fill out the eligibility form
2. FPL will verify eligibility and send an email with a promotion code
for the discount
3. Visit the FSEC website to register for the course(s) and enter the promotion code to receive the discounted course pricing

An essential part of the workshops are the installation instruction sessions. These concentrate on proper system installation and include roof mounting and sealing of both photovoltaic modules and solar water heating collectors on various Florida roof types. This includes a basic understanding of the design and installation methods used to ensure that modules and collectors are securely mounted. Identification of the various hurricane wind regions in Florida and the maximum wind speed requirements solar panels must withstand in each region.

Students attending the FSEC workshops will receive an “FSEC Certificate of Course Completion” once they successfully complete the course(s). Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board and Electrical Industry Licensing Board continuing education credits are also available for those taking the Photovoltaic System Workshop (18 credits). These are credits that licensed contractors need for renewal of their license.

* In order to be eligible for the discount, class participants must work for a licensed electrical, plumbing or solar contractor doing business in FPL’s service area, provide their valid contractor license number and agree to the terms releasing FPL from any liability. FPL discount available for all Solar Water Heating Systems and Photovoltaic Systems Workshops offered through 2014.

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

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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?

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

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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.

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