COCOA, Mar. 18, 2010 – Ninety public schools in Florida will be competitively selected to participate in the SunSmart Schools E-Shelter (Emergency Shelter) program, administered by UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC). Each school will receive a solar electric system with battery backup – complete with installation, educational resources and materials, training for school personnel, and professional development for teachers. Schools must submit an online application by April 12, 2010 to qualify for selection.
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FSEC to Oversee Installation of Solar on 90 Emergency Shelter Schools
COCOA, Feb. 18, 2010 – The Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida will administer a $10 million state program to install solar energy systems on 90 public schools.
The SunSmart Schools E-Shelters (Emergency Shelters) program, unveiled this week by Gov. Charlie Crist, is expected to boost Florida’s clean energy sector by providing job opportunities to local installers and vendors. The grant money will come from federal economic stimulus funds.
The solar electric systems, also known as photovoltaic (PV) systems, will provide power during outages, offset electricity costs to the school during normal operations and reduce greenhouse gases. Read more
MEDIA ADVISORY: Renewable Energy Solutions Demonstrated by Students at EnergyWhiz Olympics on Saturday, May 9
WHAT:
The seventh-annual EnergyWhiz Olympics is a series of day-long activities dedicated to students with an interest in alternative fuels. It is composed of the Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint, Energy Innovations and the new Bright House Solar Energy Cook-off.
- The Junior Solar Sprint is a competition that challenges middle school students to design, build and race model solar cars. Awards are given based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed.
- The Hydrogen Sprint is a high school competition that provides opportunities for students to explore hydrogen power with a hands-on design component and a presentation.
- The Energy Innovations program is a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each participating team designs and constructs a product or artistic work fully powered by photovoltaics (PV), also called solar electric cells. Teams also create marketing pieces, such as brochures, fliers, and posters, to accompany their products.
- The Bright House Solar Energy Cook-Off challenges students, in grades 4th – 8th, to design and build solar cookers, and to also cook a recipe of their own creation using the power of the sun. In Top Chef-style, each dish will be judged by a panel of experts based on taste, ingredients and creativity.
WHY:
These hands-on renewable energy competitions – for elementary, middle and high school students – expose students to alternative energy fuel sources, and encourage scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork.
WHO:
More than 650 elementary, middle, and high school Florida students – from Tallahassee to Miami and everywhere in between – will participate in the EnergyWhiz Olympics.
Number of Teams in Each Competition –
Junior Solar Sprint: 60
Hydrogen Sprint: 13
Energy Innovations: 12
Solar Cook-off: 46
WHEN:
Saturday, May 9 starting at 9 a.m.
9:00 a.m. Welcome – Auditorium
Dr. James Fenton, Director, Florida Solar Energy Center
9:30 a.m. Technical Judging Begins – Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint
Hydrogen Sprint Presentations
Energy Innovations Displays Open to Public
Solar Energy Cook-Off – Design Judging
Solar Cookers – Displays Open to Public
11:30 a.m. Energy Innovations Judging – Middle School Teams
12 noon Energy Innovations Judging – High School Teams
Junior Solar Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 1)
1:00 p.m. Hydrogen Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 2)
2:00 p.m. Solar Energy Cook-Off – Recipe Judging (Auditorium)
3:30 p.m. Awards Ceremony (Auditorium)
WHERE:
Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
For more information on these exciting educational events, visit
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/events/ewhiz_olympics.htm or view a video about the EnergyWhiz Olympics at http://vimeo.com/982597.
Contact Susan Schleith, FSEC Education Coordinator, at 321-638-1017 or Susan@fsec.ucf.edu.
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PR09-07
Hot Water Systems Lab Offers Side-by-Side Testing
Just as President Barack Obama steps up his campaign for energy efficiency, the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) celebrated the opening of its new Hot Water Systems Laboratory in Cocoa.
Water heating is the second largest home consumer of energy, and the performance of some systems on the market today have never been tested under realistic and extreme weather conditions. Testing in the lab will help provide answers the solar industry, utilities and home builders are looking for to increase energy efficiency.
“This project is an important part of Building America’s goal of zero energy buildings by year 2020,” said Robert Hassett, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Manager. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Program funded the lab at FSEC, a research institute of the University of Central Florida.
The facility, which opened on Wednesday, will be a hub to test solar, tankless and conventional domestic water heating systems for efficiency.
“Solar water heating is an excellent way to save energy on water heating and reduce whole-house energy use, but utilities are specifically interested in knowing whether or not solar is providing relief to the power grid during peak times. Our testing will answer their questions,” says Subrato Chandra, the Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership project manager. This information is key to utility “buy-in” to more aggressively sponsor solar water heating systems.
FSEC to Support Solar-Powered Monorail System Development
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Sky Train Corporation (STC) and the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) at the University of Central Florida a $100,000 renewable energy collaborative grant. The grant’s primary focus is to fund the development an innovative solar interface to power a next-generation high-speed monorail that will be 80 percent more efficient than rubber-tired monorails in the U.S.