Press Release

Florida Solar Energy Center Director, Dr. James Fenton, Recipient of 2008 UCF Award for Excellence in Distinguished Research

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Cocoa, Fla. – Dr. James Fenton, director of the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) and recognized expert in electrochemical engineering, received this year’s University of Central Florida Award for Excellence in Distinguished Research. This honor is awarded to researchers whose work has created an impact within their discipline and in society. Their work is recognized by research peers, has been published and presented on numerous occasions, and provides external grant and contract support for the research.

Fenton has led his team in a wide variety of hydrogen research activities, although he specializes in fuel cell applications. Fenton’s award-winning work focuses on the research and development of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. PEM fuel cells transform chemical energy released during the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to electrical energy, rather than producing mechanical energy as current internal combustion engines do. While PEM fuel cells are being developed primarily for the next-generation automobile engine, they are also being developed as sources for portable power and emergency backup power applications. Read more

Ambassadors Glean Solar Energy Solutions from FSEC

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COCOA, Fla. – When the U.S. State Department wanted to show ambassadors from more than 40 nations some of Florida’s most comprehensive research in sustainable energy, they came straight to the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC).

On Thursday, those ambassadors toured the center and observed sunlight being used for everything from cooking food and heating water to creating electricity that can be used to power homes and offices.

Ambassador Nancy Brinker, United States Chief of Protocol and the initiator of the State Department’s “Experience America” tour program for members of the Washington, D.C. Diplomatic Corps, said FSEC was the perfect choice for the ambassadors’ inaugural tour. Read more

FSEC Helps Orlando Home Achieve LEED Certification

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An Orlando home rebuilt after it was destroyed in a 2004 hurricane has become the first house in the state to achieve the silver certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes standard.

The Florida Solar Energy Center completed several inspections and performance tests on John and Pamela Parés’ new home, which features solar water heating, high-efficiency windows and doors and many other environmentally friendly features. The home, built by Classic Construction, is only the second home in the state to earn a LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Coalition (USGBC).

After Hurricane Charley destroyed the Parés’ home, they sought out environmentally friendly contractors and features that would promote clean air, clean water and the conservation of resources while also reducing their utility bills. The Parés lived in a rented house across the street while watching the reconstruction of their home. Read more

U.S. Department of Energy Awards Florida Solar Energy Center at UCF $2 Million for 'Green' Regional Project

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The U.S. Department of Energy recently named the Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida as one of only two sites nationwide that will share a multi-million dollar grant to accelerate the adoption of new and developing energy-efficient technologies.

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) received $2 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) grant to be home to a regional building technology application center. The center, to be located at FSEC’s facility in Cocoa, will serve 12 states and produce projects that will substantially increase the deployment of high-performance “beyond-code” buildings across the Southeast. Read more

Florida Solar Energy Center releases EnergyGauge® Summit Premier 3.13

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Easy-to-use, state-of-the-art software offers construction-industry professionals substantial time savings while completing required energy modeling calculations for LEED® projects.

Cocoa, FL – November 7, 2007 – The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the University of Central Florida, today released EnergyGauge Summit Premier 3.13 at the Greenbuild conference in Chicago. This state-of-the-art software provides construction-industry professionals with the opportunity to substantially reduce the time required to complete energy modeling for the  commercial construction LEED® rating system.

The United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system is the leading green building rating system in the United States. The organization recently mandated that each project achieve at least two energy optimization points in their rating. EnergyGauge Summit Premier allows engineers to simply enter the design building characteristics and the software calculates everything else for these important point credits. Read more