The Florida ENERGY STAR^® Residential HVAC Rebate Program is designed to encourage existing homeowners to replace their old energy-inefficient heating and cooling system with a properly-sized energy efficient system and to ensure that their heating and cooling duct system has minimal leakage.

Each home must have their ducts tested to assure they are not extremely leaky, in order to receive the rebate. The required duct test must be performed after installation. If your ductwork is difficult to access in order to make repairs, then you may want to have your ductwork tested prior to signing a contract to participate. Most homes will have ducts that pass the test, while others will have leaks that can be repaired.

Most Class 1 Residential Energy Raters have the equipment and are certified to test the duct system. Find a list of energy raters at http://www.energygauge.com/search.htm (select ‘Class 1 Res’ in the search filter).

If your ductwork is found to be extremely leaky, such that you won’t be eligible for the rebate, you may want to consider the expense of replacing or repairing the ductwork. If your current ductwork is extremely leaky and in a confined attic space with limited access, you may even want to consider a new duct system installed below your ceiling, so the ductwork is in the conditioned space, saving an extra 5 to 10%.  Some homes have exposed ducts, while others build a second drop-down ceiling around the ductwork.

In addition to Class 1 Energy Raters, the state rebate program allows for Licensed Mechanical Contractors and Certified Test and Balance Professionals to verify the duct tightness. In order for those professionals to learn how to test, FSEC is offering a two-day course on duct testing, Duct Testing 101.

Information and registration for the Duct Testing 101 course are available at http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/go/ducttesting101

Full Energy Rater training is available at http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/cont_ed/bldg/erater.php.

Information about the full requirements of the Florida ENERGY STAR^® Residential HVAC Rebate Program can be found at http://www.rebates.com/floridahvac/.

Opportunities for Florida from Florida Solar Energy Center on Vimeo.

The grant, given under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will expand FSEC’s weatherization training program, which provides inspectors, contractors and other skilled workers training courses in energy efficiency retrofitting and weatherization services, such as house air sealing and air duct diagnoses and repair.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected 34 projects in 27 states to develop or expand weatherization training centers. FSEC is one of three training centers in Florida selected to receive part of the $29 million in funding.

Under the Recovery Act, the Obama Administration is making unprecedented investments to help build a clean energy future, including $5 billion to significantly ramp up the pace of weatherization in the United States.

“A well-trained workforce will be a crucial part of America’s clean energy economy in the years ahead,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman. “These investments in efficiency training programs will help build a foundation for long-term growth in America. Energy efficiency improves the competitiveness of our economy, benefits the environment, and puts Americans back to work.”

FSEC plans to expand the scope and curriculum of their training center, originally created to train 150 weatherization inspectors for Florida’s Department of Community Affairs.

The new FSEC courses will integrate Florida-specific weatherization protocols into DOE-standardized weatherization training curricula. Additional training models will be developed to enrich learning and allow increased hands-on testing and measurements. The new course offerings will be applicable to inspectors, contractors and program managers.

The advanced training classes will include:

• house envelope air sealing concepts and approaches,
• duct diagnosis and repair,
• resolving unbalanced return air problems,
• solving wind washing problems,
• the use of infrared thermography to diagnose thermal and air leakage failures in buildings, and
• combustion safety.

“Our training courses will not only teach students weatherization and energy efficiency techniques, but also the safety issues involved when the air tightness of a building is changed,” said Neil Moyer, principal research engineer at FSEC.

The 34 DOE-selected projects will significantly expand access to weatherization training, while improving the quality and consistency of training nationwide.

These investments will continue to build on the Administration’s efforts to expand the green workforce and build a self-sustaining energy retrofit industry that creates high-quality jobs, while improving the environment and saving energy.

For more information, including the complete list of award recipients, see the DOE announcement online at http://www.energy.gov/news/9029.htm.

Nazim Muradov, principal research scientist at UCF's Florida Solar Energy Center.

Nazim Muradov, a principal research scientist at UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center, was awarded the honorary title of International Association for Hydrogen Energy Fellow at the organization’s 18th biennial World Hydrogen Energy Conference.

More than 1,000 scientists and decision-makers in politics, finance and research gathered last month in Essen, Germany, for presentations on cutting-edge research on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

Muradov has been involved in hydrogen energy research for the past 30 years. He spearheaded U.S. Department of Energy-funded research efforts on the development, patenting and licensing of a novel process for producing hydrogen.  Under a NASA contract, he led a research and development program on the local production of hydrogen from renewable resources such as landfill gas and citrus waste.

Muradov is the author and co-author of 200 publications and 34 patents, and three of his technologies have been licensed to industry.  He recently received a patent for a new approach to cleaning up oil spills using carbon materials that can soak the oil up like a sponge. He is planning to collaborate with an industrial partner to determine the commercial potential of the technology.

Muradov’s areas of focus include hydrogen production, fuel reformers for fuel cells, catalytic solar energy conversion, hydrogen sensors, carbon nanostructures, fossil fuel decarbonization and hydrocarbon processing.

He is an associate editor of the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy and a member of the international editorial council of the Processes of Petrochemistry and Oil Refining. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy and the Board of Trustees and Scientific Council of the Madrid Institute of Advanced Studies (IMDEA Energia), Spain. He received a University of Central Florida Research Incentive Award in 2003, and he earned UCF’s Distinguished Researcher of the Year Award for institutes and centers in 1996.

More than 500 students throughout Florida converged May 1 at the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) in

Students from Tallahassee to Miami participated in this year's EnergyWhiz Olympics in Cocoa on May 1st.

Cocoa to compete in the day-long competition that showcased student projects in alternative fuel technologies.

Events included the Bright House Solar Energy Cookoff, a solar cooker design and cooking contest; the Junior Solar Sprint, model-size solar car races; the High School Hydrogen Sprint, model-size hydrogen-powered car races; and Energy Innovations, a full-scale solar electric design challenge.

Students cook a dish in their solar oven and then judges taste-test it.

The Bright House Solar Energy Cookoff challenged students to design and build solar cookers, and also cook a recipe of their own creation in their oven. Students’ creative dishes were judged on taste, ingredients and creativity.

One of the most popular events is the Junior Solar Sprint, where students in grades 6-8 design, construct and race solar-powered vehicles. This hands-on competition encourages scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork. Awards were given based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed. This year, 63 teams competed.

Which solar-powered car will make it to the end of the 30 meter track the fastest?

“Clear skies and improved car designs made for a speedy race,” said Susan Schleith, education coordinator at FSEC. Teams had at least two opportunities to demonstrate their vehicles’ performance in the double elimination format. One of the top cars was clocked at 6.7 meters per second, or 15 mph.

Hydrogen Sprint model cars are powered by fuel cells.

The Hydrogen Sprint, a competition for high school students in grades 9-12, allows students to design, build and race model-sized cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells. This competition exposes students to hydrogen’s potential as an alternative fuel source and also gives graduates of the Junior Solar Sprint program an opportunity to continue designing and building alternative-fueled vehicles. Participating teams also gave 10-minute presentations demonstrating their understanding of hydrogen.

The Energy Innovations program is a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each team designed and constructed a product or artistic work fully powered by photovoltaic panels, more commonly known as solar electric panels. Teams also created marketing pieces, such as brochures, fliers, and posters, to accompany their products.

The Emergency Medical Cooler uses solar electricity to keep it cold.

“It’s impressive to see student teams creating projects that will benefit others in time of need,” said Penny Hall, event coordinator of the EnergyWhiz Olympics, referring to the Emergency Medical Cooler designed by Orlando’s Olympia High School in response to Haiti’s recent earthquake.

Competition results are listed below. Photos are available upon request; contact Sherri Shields at 321-638-1019.

Junior Solar Sprint

6^th Grade Race

1^st Place –  Gulf Coast Academy of Science & Technology, Spring Hill

2^nd Place – Lockhart Middle School, Orlando

3^rd Place – Pine View School, Sarasota

7^th Grade Race

1^st Place – Lockhart Middle School, Orlando

2^nd Place – Southwest Middle School, Palm Bay

3^rd Place – Orlando Science Schools, Orlando

8^th Grade Race

1^st Place – Jupiter Middle School (car #41), Jupiter

2^nd Place – Jupiter Middle School (car #64), Jupiter

3^rd Place – Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park

Most Innovative Vehicle Design (overall)

1^st Place – Conway Middle School, 7^th grade team, Orlando

2^nd Place – Edgewood Jr/Sr High, 7^th grade team, Merritt Island

3^rd Place – Cornerstone Learning Academy, 6^th grade team, Tallahassee

Best Vehicle Design (overall)

1^st Place – McLane Middle School, 7^th grade team, Brandon

2^nd Place – Edgewood Jr/Sr High, 7^th grade team, Merritt Island

3^rd Place – McLane Middle School, 8^th grade team, Brandon

Hydrogen Sprint

1^st Place Race – Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park

1^st Place Vehicle Design – Olympia High, Orlando

1^st Place Team Performance – Alexander Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach

Overall Ranking

1^st Place – Trinity Preparatory, Winter Park

2^nd Place – Edgewood Jr/Sr High, Merritt Island

3^rd Place – Alexander Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Palm Beach

Bright House Solar Cookoff

Elementary School Division

1^st Place Cooker Design – Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Indialantic

2^nd Place Cooker Design – Jupiter Elementary School, Palm Bay

3^rd Place Cooker Design – New School Preparatory, Orlando

1^st Place Solar Chef – Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (team #8), Indialantic

2^nd Place Solar Chef – Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (team #9), Indialantic

3^rd Place Solar Chef – St. Martha Catholic School, Sarasota

Middle School Division

1^st Place Cooker Design – Sweetwater Branch Academy, Gainesville

2^nd Place Cooker Design – Edgewood Jr/Sr High, Merritt Island

3^rd Place Cooker Design – Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville

1^st Place Solar Chef – Edgewood Jr/Sr High (team #1), Merritt Island

2^nd Place Solar Chef – Edgewood Jr/Sr High (team #13), Merritt Island

3^rd Place Solar Chef – South Seminole Middle School, Casselberry

Energy Innovations

Middle School

1^st Place Photovoltaic Design – South Seminole Middle School, Casselberry,
The Super Solar Cart 3000

2^nd Place Photovoltaic Design – St. Paul Lutheran School, Lakeland,
Going Buggy With Solar

3^rd Place Photovoltaic Design – Gulf Coast Academy of Science & Technology,
Spring Hill, Apollo’s Angels

High School

1^st Place Photovoltaic Design –  Olympia High School, Orlando,
EMC Emergency Medical Cooler

2^nd Place Photovoltaic Design – Holy Trinity Episcopal School, Melbourne,
Solar Irrigation Pumping Station

3^rd Place Photovoltaic Design – Edgewood Jr/Sr High, Merritt Island,
Solar Home Innovations

Wow! Award (combined division) – Bayside High School, Palm Bay,
Solar Powered Hydrogen Fuel Cell

The 10-kilowatt solar electric system will provide power to the shelter during outages for critical energy needs such as lighting, communications and essential medical equipment. During normal operations, it will offset electricity costs to the school and reduce greenhouse gases. Funding for the $10 million state program came from federal economic stimulus funds.

The 90 finalist schools (listed below) were selected from the 213 applications submitted, representing 45 of the 67 counties in Florida.

“Ideally, we wanted to have each county in Florida represented, but we’re pleased to have shelters spread throughout the state, with at least one shelter in each of the counties that applied,” said Susan Schleith, project manager of the SunSmart E-Shelter program.

Schools were ranked based on demographics, emergency shelter needs, partnerships, and renewable energy education and outreach plans. Twenty alternate schools were also selected. Final acceptance into the program is dependent on a successful visit to the school by the FSEC engineering and emergency management teams to determine site suitability. In the event any of the finalists are deemed not suitable for installation, or if additional funding is obtained, alternate schools will move to finalist status.

The next stage of the process is to determine who will install the solar systems. The University of Central Florida will select the contractors through a formal bid process, expected to begin in the next few weeks. Contractor selection is expected to be completed by mid-June.

For more information about the program, visit www.fsec.ucf.edu/go/sunsmart.

About FSEC

The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research institute in the nation. Current divisions and their research activities include Advanced Energy Research: alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel and fuel cells; Buildings Research: energy-efficient buildings; and Solar Energy: solar water and pool heating and solar electric and distributed generation systems. For more information about the center, visit http://www.floridaenergycenter.org or call the FSEC Public Affairs Office at 321-638-1015.

UCF Stands For Opportunity
The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the 3rd largest in the nation with more than 53,500 students. UCF’s first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region’s economic development. UCF’s culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more information visit http://news.ucf.edu.

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PR10-05

The eighth-annual EnergyWhiz Olympics is day-long event showcasing student projects in alternative energy. Activities include the Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint, Energy Innovations and the Bright House Solar Energy Cook-off. The general public is invited to observe all activities.

• 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 fuel cell 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 4^th – 8^th, 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.

WHEN:

Saturday, May 1 starting at 9 a.m.

9:00 a.m.      Welcome – Auditorium, Dr. James Fenton, Director, FSEC

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

10:30 a.m.            Energy Innovations Judging

11:30 a.m.            Junior Solar Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 1)

12 noon      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.

Retrofit Florida: Create Jobs and Save Money on Electricity from Florida Solar Energy Center on Vimeo.

What will happen to Florida if we do not pass an Energy Policy this year? What will be the cost of our monthly electric bills if we do nothing? Will we save money and create jobs if we do nothing?

Can we invest in our Energy Future without raising taxes?  Let’s look to our homes to create New Clean Green Jobs for Florida so we can create economic growth, which increases the state’s revenues.  Let’s renovate our homes cost-effectively, thereby saving money on our monthly electric bills.  Let’s not ship money out of state for purchase of coal and natural gas to make electricity. Let’s put people to work and use some of the energy savings to put solar energy on our roofs.

Fifty-one percent of the electricity that utilities produce are used in our residences, “we the citizens” consume electricity so, “we” need to use energy efficiently.

Fifty-one percent of Florida's electricity is used in homes.

This plot shows the average annual household electricity use in MWh/yr historically, along with the October 2009 Florida Public Service Commission 10-Year Forecast.

2009 Florida Public Service Commission's 10-Year Site Plan

The actual energy use per household showed an increase from 1993  until the peak electricity use per household of 2003 (14.6 MWh/yr).

Electricity use per household peaked in 2003.

The 2009 forecast, predicted in 2008, shows a decrease of 2.1% in average annual household electricity use over the ten year forecast.

The 2009 Public Service Commission forecast of electricity over 10-years.

Clearly, if “we” use less electricity, it is good for the environment and it requires Florida to import less fossil fuels like natural gas and coal into Florida, but does it mean “we” pay less per month for electricity?

No, we will pay more and this plot shows why.

Projected Electric Costs

This plot of the average monthly household electricity cost over time shows the historical costs and the 10-year forecasted costs. The 2009 forecast shows a decrease in electricity consumption of 2.1% over the ten-year period of 2009 to 2018, but electricity cost is increasing at 4.7% per year, so the electric cost of ~$148 per month of today turns into $210 per month by 2018.

This means that the cost of having no new energy policy and doing business as usual will cost the citizens of Florida at least $62 per month in 2018, there will be no new job creation and we will continue to purchase more fossil fuels and export our money out of the state.

Does it have to be this way? No, we must pass an Energy Policy that provides incentives and loans to retrofit our homes to make them more energy efficient.

An energy policy that incorporates incentives and loans to retrofit homes is essential to create jobs and save money.

We can actually pay less for electricity each month than we do now, and use the savings to purchase the efficiency improvements and provide rebates for putting solar energy on our roofs.

Deep Retrofit Potential

If  we cost effectively retrofit our homes with eight energy efficiency measures and solar hot water heating, instead of paying $82 more each month in 2020, we will save $46 each month over today’s cost.  The cost of doing nothing compared to the cost of an energy policy that encourages energy efficiency and solar energy on your rooftop is more than $128 month or $1,536 per year, per household.

Potential for Cost-Effective Deep Retrofits Compared to Business As Usual (BAU)

The eight energy efficiency measures and solar water heating provides energy savings of 56% ($128 per month per household).

The savings measure in the order of most economical (lowest cost to benefit ratio) are:

We can do something. We should chose to retrofit our homes cost-effectively to make them more energy efficient.  We will then pay less for electricity each month than we do now and use the savings to purchase the efficiency improvements and provide rebates for putting solar energy on our roofs.

Retrofitting Florida Homes Creates Jobs and Saves Money on Electricity

Retrofitting 3% of the homes per year will generate $1,536 in energy savings per home — a total of $285 million in total cost savings for the 186,000 retrofitted homes, while saving 1.05 million tons of CO2.  Each year we will generate $3.8 billion in new economic activity, 42,026 direct jobs and 15,282 indirect jobs.

If Florida invests in our homes, people go back to work, property values increase, and we save money every month!

Nearly 800 schools in Florida that are designated as Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area (EHPA) shelters are eligible to participate in the E-Shelter program. The selection process will be highly competitive. Schools will be ranked based on demographics, emergency shelter needs, partnerships and existing renewable energy education and outreach plans.

The application process is simple, straightforward and done completely online. “We have worked diligently to make the application process as easy as possible,” said James Haggard, coordinator of Web Engineering at FSEC.

Those interested in participating in the program should visit www.fsec.ucf.edu/go/sunsmart for more information.

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PR10-03

Q: Can state funds can be used for cost share?

A: Yes. The only exception to cost share is that federal funds may not be used.

Q: Do I have to fill out DOE SF424 forms for the budget or can I use my own?

A: Applicants are not required to complete the DOE SF 424 R&R Budget Form and should ignore references in Section C.1 to “Field K.” Applicants may use their own form as long as the requested level of detail is provided in the budget and the corresponding budget justification. As stated in Section D, applicants selected for negotiation of an award may be asked to provide other budget information, including certain DOE forms (to be specified).