Press Release

EnergyWhiz Olympics at Florida Solar Energy Center-UCF

Sherri Shields Awards, Press Release

More than 300 students and teachers from throughout Florida participated in the 2007 EnergyWhiz Olympics at the Florida Solar Energy Center on Saturday, May 12. Events included solar car races, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle races, a photovoltaic design competition called “Energy Innovations” and a solar-powered boat demonstration.

Students from elementary through high schools took part in the alternative fuel competitions. The largest event, with 61 teams, was the Junior Solar Sprint. Middle-school students designed and built model-sized, solar-powered vehicles, which they raced during the competition. Awards were given to the top performing vehicles based on design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and speed. Read more

Renewable Energy Conference to be Held in Cape Canaveral

Sherri Shields Press Release , , ,
A four-day conference on the use and development of renewable energy in the

Caribbean will be held in Cape Canaveral from June 3 to 6. “Renewables: The Road to Sustainability” is the seventh program in a series sponsored by Sustainable Applications for Tropical Island States (SATIS) and the Caribbean Solar Energy Society.

Bill Young of the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center is serving as technical contact for the conference, which will be of special interest to Caribbean government officials and people doing business in the Caribbean islands.

Solar energy technology offers significant potential as a major energy source in the area, as well as growing opportunities for jobs such as contractors and installers. Topics of special interest to government officials include energy costs and how to reduce them and using renewable energy as a critical power supply during energy outages and disasters. Business sessions include discussions of the latest markets for renewable energy in the Caribbean. Read more

EnergyWhiz Olympics to be Held at FSEC on Saturday May 12

Sherri Shields Awards, Press Release , , , , , ,

More than 80 school teams featuring hundreds of students from around the state will participate in the fifth-annual EnergyWhiz Olympics again this year at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC).

The 2007 event will be held Saturday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to about 4 p.m.  The center is located on the campus of Brevard Community College/UCF at 1679 Clearlake Road in Cocoa.

Each year, students from elementary through high school take part in the competitions that feature alternative fuels in the Junior Solar Sprint, Middle School Science Bowl Hands-on Hydrogen demonstration, High School Hydrogen Sprint and Energy Innovations competition. Read more

FSEC Researcher Writes Book on Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Sherri Shields Press Release , , ,

Jim Dunlop, a researcher at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), has written a comprehensive guide to the fundamentals, design and installation of photovoltaic (PV) systems.

The 450-page book, “Photovoltaic Systems,” was published in March by the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry (NJATC).  Dunlop is currently on leave from FSEC, serving as a curriculum specialist with NJATC.

The book is intended to be a textbook for the more than 300 IBEW/NECA (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association) apprenticeship programs across North America. Read more

Royal Professional Builders, FSEC Work Together on Florida's First LEED-Certified Home

Sherri Shields Press Release , ,

A Port St. Lucie home became the first in the state to earn a certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes pilot program after several inspections and performance tests were completed by the Florida Solar Energy Center.

The Port St. Lucie home, at 1972 SW McAllister Lane, is a Grand Emerald model built by Royal Professional Builders of West Palm Beach. The home includes hurricane-resistant wall panels that provide superior energy efficiency, Energy Star appliances and a drought-tolerant and low-maintenance landscape.

In 2005, the Green Building Council selected the Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida to administer the LEED for Homes pilot program in Florida and verify the compliance of each certified home in the state. The program is designed to provide national consistency in defining what constitutes a “green” home. Read more