SCOPE OF ANNOUNCEMENT

The goal of the Florida Hydrogen Initiative is to move Florida to the forefront of the nation’s hydrogen economy. The Florida Hydrogen Initiative will use its resources to aid the development of a Florida-based hydrogen and fuel cell industry thereby establishing Florida as the cornerstone of a southeastern hydrogen and fuel cell hub and aiding the U. S. Department of Energy in its hydrogen and fuel cell programs and goals.

FHI seeks to develop Florida’s hydrogen and fuel cell infrastructure by:

• Creating partnerships for applied technology demonstration projects throughout the state;
• Sponsoring research and development in the production, storage and use of hydrogen and in the use and application of fuel cells;
• Facilitating technology transfer between the public and private sectors to create, build, and strengthen high-growth potential, high technology companies;
• Demonstrating industrial support or potential for widespread applications;
• Developing unique hydrogen/fuel cell university level education programs.

UCF/FSEC will request proposals in support of the above objectives. The research, development or demonstration projects to be funded will also be guided by the above FHI objectives and the 2010 and 2015 targets described in the U. S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program – Multi-year Research, Development and Demonstration Plan or the latest version (See http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/mypp/).

A formal RFP will be issued and sent to all individuals/institutions/industries/ organizations requesting it. Please make sure that your name is included in the distribution list for the RFP. Send your name or if you have any questions please contact: David L. Block at block@fsec.ucf.edu

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.

“Not only will these systems provide a vital energy resource to an emergency shelter,” said Bill Young, the SunSmart technical manager at FSEC, “they will also provide noise-free power with no air pollution or fuel supply issues.”

Nearly 800 schools in Florida are designated as Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area (EHPA) shelters. The selection process will be highly competitive. Schools will be selected based on demographics, emergency shelter needs, partnerships and existing renewable energy education and outreach plans.

“The SunSmart School and E-Shelters program will help protect our environment for future generations,” Crist said. “Educating Floridians and utilizing energy efficient technologies will strengthen our economy by increasing Florida’s energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Teachers and students alike will benefit from the systems. Energy curriculum workshops for teachers will be provided, and students – as well as the public – will be able to analyze the performance data that will be uploaded to www.energywhiz.com. The program will also provide operation and maintenance workshops for facility managers.

Each participating school will receive a 10-kilowatt solar energy system with a battery back-up – complete with installation. The system will provide enough power for critical energy needs such as lighting, communications and essential medical equipment.

“Our goal is to have PV systems spread throughout the state, ideally at least one SunSmart E-Shelter in every county,” said Susan Schleith, SunSmart program manager.

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

Charles Cromer, center, was selected as an ASHRAE Fellow for his significant contributions in the HVAC field.

The Florida Solar Energy Center’s Charles Cromer was selected as a Fellow at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 2010 Winter Conference last month in Orlando.

The honor is granted to members who have attained unusual distinction in the field of heating, refrigeration, air conditioning or ventilation (HVAC).

Cromer, program director of the Appliance Laboratory at the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center, has made significant contributions in the HVAC field. His invention of the Cromer Cycle air-conditioning system provides more energy-efficient dehumidification than standard air conditioners or dehumidifiers.

His innovation can be found in operating rooms, and it even conditions the room displaying the first flag of the United States.

Cromer has received three patents for his concept of the Cromer Cycle, and it is now commercially known as the Trane CDQ (Cool, Dry, Quiet) option. Trane Inc. and Oak Ridge National Lab were instrumental in the product development.

The Cromer Cycle was recognized as the Frost and Sullivan Best Dehumidification Product of 2005 and as an R&D Magazine Top 100 product in 2006.

An ASHRAE member since 1981, Cromer has contributed to the development of many of the organization’s standards.

“This is a significant honor in the engineering profession, given that the recognition is driven by our peers and based on real contributions to the improvement of our environment, safety or the general welfare of society,” said Bob Reedy, director of FSEC’s Solar Energy Division. “Very few engineers earn this career distinction.”

For more information about the Cromer Cycle, visit http://txspace.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/6772/ESL-HH-00-05-06.pdf?sequence=4 or http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6094835/description.html.

About ASHRAE

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 51,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.

Philip Fairey, deputy director of FSEC, receives the Building Efficiency Lifetime Leadership (BELL) award from Johnson Controls.

Philip Fairey, deputy director of the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), is the recipient of the Johnson Controls’ second annual Building Efficiency Lifetime Leadership (BELL) award. The BELL Award recognizes individuals who have devoted many years of their career to energy efficiency, sustainability or renewable energy.

Johnson Controls, a leader in energy efficiency and sustainability, presented the award at their Green Tie Affair – a customer appreciation event – held in conjunction with the Greenbuild Conference last week in Phoenix, AZ.

Fairey’s nearly 30 years of experience in buildings research has advanced renewable energy and energy efficiency in Florida. His significant contributions include the development of moisture transport control and radiant barrier technology, advanced cooling and dehumidification systems, and energy analysis software tools.

At the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center, Fairey develops and leads research and technology initiatives, including the EnergyGauge^® suite of building energy analysis software tools. He holds several U.S. patents, and he has published more than 100 articles, papers and books. Fairey is a member of two standards committees of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, and is president of the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), the nation’s premier organization in the development of home energy rating system standards.

“Philip’s leadership in buildings research at FSEC has led to significant Florida energy codes and standards improvements, saving more than $100 million annually in energy costs. I’m pleased to see his efforts recognized,” said Jim Fenton, director of the Florida Solar Energy Center.

EnergyGauge Summit Premier Version 3.22 Live at GreenBuild Expo.

EnergyGauge Summit is easy-to-use, state-of-the-art software that offers construction-industry professionals substantial time savings while completing required energy modeling calculations for LEED^® projects.

The Florida Solar Energy Center^® (FSEC^®), a research institute of the University of Central Florida, just released EnergyGauge Summit Premier 3.22. FSEC will be exhibiting the software at the GreenBuild Expo in Phoenix November 10 – 12, 2009. 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. It also offers a time-saving federal tax deduction qualification feature.

The new version of Summit Premier contains several improvements and additional features that make it more functional in its use for LEED and other calculations. They include:

• Addition of the LEED (version 3) 2009 calculation feature for Energy Optimization Credit
• Updated federal tax deduction calculation as per IRS Notice 2008-40 (amplification to IRS Notice 2006-52)
• New input fields for various building envelope and system components to allow for more accurate modeling
• Additional schedules for HVAC system control
• DOE-2 based system sizing feature (beta version)

This easy-to-use updated software product is an advancement of a product that is used in Florida for commercial building code compliance by more than 1,500 users. The Premier edition includes nationwide climates and offers the automatic federal tax deduction qualification and LEED^® energy optimization features.

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.

At GreenBuild 2009 Expo booth 3558, FSEC will demonstrate the ability to complete and submit the LEED 2.2 EA Credit 1 template to the LEED-Online database. This automatic baseline building-generation and template-completion feature will save the typical energy modeler many hours on each building submission. The latest version of the software can also run and create all the output data required to complete the PDF template for the LEED (version 3) 2009 energy optimization calculation.

The software automatically creates the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1 (versions 2001, 2004 and 2007) baseline building; performs the ASHRAE Appendix G rating procedure, and calculates the points achieved for LEED energy optimization. It also calculates ASHRAE Standard 90.1 compliance, based on the performance method, as called for in ASHRAE performance-based energy code compliance methodology.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has listed EnergyGauge Summit Premier as qualified software for calculating energy savings for the energy-efficient, commercial-building tax deduction under Internal Revenue Code §179D.

EnergyGauge Summit Premier performs an annual 8,760-hour simulation, taking just a few seconds on typical new computers. The Windows-based program uses a DOE-2 engine, originally developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.

A free, fully-functional trial version of the new EnergyGauge Summit Premier software can be downloaded at http://www.energygauge.com/downloads/summit.htm. The software retails for $949 per annual license.

About EnergyGauge^®
EnergyGauge energy analysis software is produced and distributed by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the University of Central Florida. EnergyGauge is a registered trademark of FSEC. FSEC has been conducting research on energy efficiency in buildings since 1980. EnergyGauge software products include EnergyGauge Summit for commercial buildings, EnergyGauge USA for residential buildings nationwide and EnergyGauge FlaRes for Florida’s residential code compliance. EnergyGauge is on display at the Greenbuild 2009 conference at booth 3558. More information at www.EnergyGauge.com.

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.

About ASHRAE^®
ASHRAE creates standards used internationally for building energy and ventilation performance such as ASHRAE 90.1 for commercial building energy performance. More information is available at http://www.ashrae.org.

About LEED^®
LEED is a registered trademark of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and represents The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green
buildings. One of the key elements for earning points in the popular LEED rating system is the buildings energy performance. For new buildings, the applicant can earn one LEED credit point for each 3.5 percent improvement in performance relative to ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004 using the Building Performance Rating Method in Appendix G of the Standard. More information on LEED is available at http://www.usgbc.org/.

About Greenbuild^®
Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. Scheduled for November 10 – 12, 2009, more than 20,000 building professionals from around the world gather for three days of outstanding educational sessions, renowned speakers, green building tours, special seminars, networking events.

About the Energy Tax Deduction
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005) is the first effort of the United States government to address U.S. energy policy since the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Among many other things, the 1,724-page law provides new tax incentives for a number of solar and energy efficiency measures including tax deductions for commercial buildings. This provision offers business taxpayers a deduction of $1.80 per square foot for commercial buildings that achieve a 50 percent reduction in annual energy cost to the user, compared to a reference building defined by the industry standard ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2001. Energy costs refer only to heating, cooling, lighting and water heating, since only these uses are within the scope of the ASHRAE standard and within the control of the building designer. More information on the IRS procedure can be found at: http://www.irs.gov/irb/2006-26_IRB/ar11.html.

Each of the three energy-using systems of the building: the envelope, the heating, cooling and water heating system, and lighting system, is eligible for one third of the incentive if it meets its share of the whole-building savings goal. Explicit interim compliance procedures are provided for lighting.

New construction in an existing building is also eligible for the tax deduction, with one-third of the deduction amount for new construction that affects the new energy-using system (such as lighting or heating, cooling and water heating).

Compliance is determined by third-party inspectors who review the plans and the actual in-place construction. Energy savings are determined by software that must be certified by the Department of Energy as meeting criteria of consistency and accuracy. EnergyGauge Summit is listed as qualified software by the U.S. Department of Energy, visit: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/qualified_software.html

###

PR-09-11

David Block, director emeritus of FSEC, receives national recognition from the International Renewable Energy Council.

ORLANDO, Oct. 27, 2009 — As President Barack Obama hails the opening of the nation’s largest solar photovoltaic power plant in DeSoto County, a University of Central Florida engineer credited with making the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) a world leader in renewable energy research is being honored by a national council.

David Block, director emeritus of FSEC, has received a special recognition award from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. The council, which Block helped found as the Interstate Solar Coordination Council in 1982, develops renewable energy programs and policies designed to lead to adoption of uniform guidelines, standards and quality assessment.

The award recognizes Block’s role in developing the first national standards for testing and certifying solar equipment, for serving as a “founding father” of the organization and for building UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center into the largest and most active state-supported solar energy institute in the nation.

Block served as FSEC director for 25 years before departing in 2002. He said he is especially proud of the fact that the center, which was founded in 1974 in response to the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, is now highly respected both nationally and internationally.

“FSEC is now a key player in national energy research,” he said. The center received $11.6 million in external grant funding in the 2008-09 fiscal year. Research is now focused on five energy activities: hydrogen, photovoltaics, solar thermal, fuel cells and building energy science.

Block still serves as project manager of three FSEC’s programs — the Florida Energy Systems Consortium and two Department of Energy-funded efforts, the Florida Hydrogen Initiative and the recently announced Southeast Solar Installer Training program. While it’s somewhat disappointing that the progression toward solar energy has been slow, he said it’s encouraging to see that initiatives such as the photovoltaic plant opened by Florida Power & Light in Arcadia this week are now being recognized.

The plant, one of three planned in the state by FPL, will produce enough power for about 3,000 homes. That’s only a small amount of the state’s demand. However, Block said, the presence of the plants can help entice photovoltaic manufacturers to the state and has already had the effect of moving Florida from the bottom of the list of states using solar power to second in the nation after California.

“There seems to be a major turnaround today (in support for renewable energy) for a variety of reasons — peak oil problems, global warming and the creation of new jobs,” he said. “Today brings a new era to solar energy and our state and nation’s future.”

– UCF –

Contact: Barb Abney, UCF Research & Commercialization, 407-823-5139, babney@mail.ucf.edu

UCF Stands for Opportunity: The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the third 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.

In partnership with one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America teams, led by the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), these successful homebuilders are building super energy-efficient homes. They are achieving a standard met by fewer than one of every 1,000 new homes built in Florida since 2007.

Homes consume about 35 percent of the electricity produced in the United States. Homes are also responsible for more than 20 percent of the U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, a significant contributor to global warming. Building America’s goal is to develop cost-effective solutions that reduce the average energy use of housing by 40 to 100 percent.

The Department of Energy's EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale) is based off the HERS Index.

Similar to an automobile’s miles-per-gallon sticker, energy-efficient homes can have an energy-efficiency rating called the EnergySmart Home Scale^SM (E-Scale), which is based on the nationwide Home Energy Rating System’s HERS Index. A home with an E-Scale of zero generates as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis. While most existing homes have an E-Scale of 130 or higher, typical new homes in Florida have an E-Scale of about 90.

The six Building America homebuilders are constructing all of their homes – a total of about 100 a year – at an E-Scale of 60 or lower. Each home is also an ENERGY STAR-qualified new home.

Five of the six participating homebuilders are based in Gainesville: G.W. Robinson Builders Inc., Tommy Williams Homes, Skobel Development, Schackow Realty and Development (Innovative Home Builders of North Florida Inc.), and H.K.W. Enterprises Inc. The sixth, LifeStyle Homes of Melbourne, builds along Florida’s Space Coast in Brevard County. Each home is individually certified by Florida Home Energy and Resources Organization (Florida H.E.R.O.), an FSEC subcontractor based in Gainesville or by FSEC.

Ken Fonorow, president of Florida H.E.R.O., is largely responsible for the concentration of participating builders in Gainesville.

“Rethinking how homes are constructed makes good sense,” he says. “My goal is to work with developers, builders and homeowners to improve the efficiency, health and durability of homes in the Gainesville area. I hope that others in Florida will see the tremendous value of these homes and want to do the same.”

It doesn’t cost a lot more to build a more energy-efficient home, particularly when the improvements are financed as part of a mortgage. The improvements produce immediate savings in utility bills, in addition to improved air quality and durability.

“The future of new home construction is energy-efficient, high-quality housing,” said Subrato Chandra, FSEC’s Building America program director. “The success of these builders encourages me.”

In addition to FSEC’s six Building America partners, 60 other builders in Florida and 417 nationwide have risen to this challenge.

Building America forms research partnerships with all facets of the residential building industry to improve the quality and energy efficiency of homes. The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the only university-led Building America team. FSEC researches technologies for highly energy-efficient homes, and also works with builders to help them design, build and sell highly energy-efficient homes.

Researchers and builders work together to select cost-effective improvements. All of the homes have a highly efficient building envelope (better insulation levels, double pane low-e windows and radiant barriers), efficient and well-engineered heating and cooling systems with tight duct systems and controlled outside air ventilation, very efficient water heating systems and compact fluorescent lighting. ENERGY STAR appliances round out the package in many cases.

“Being a part of the Builders Challenge with our new line of Sun Smart homes is our way of doing the right thing for America’s energy future,” said Lifestyle Homes’ Larry Hufford. “I underestimated how many people felt the same way.”

For more information, visit www.baihp.org and or www.buildingamerica.gov/challenge.

About FSEC
The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported renewable energy and efficiency institute in the United States. Created by the Florida Legislature in 1975, FSEC’s mission is to research energy technologies that enhance Florida’s and the nation’s economy and environment, and to educate the public, students and practitioners on the results of the research. Working in alternative fuels, hydrogen and fuel cells, photovoltaics, solar thermal technologies, high performance buildings, and education areas, FSEC’s 140-member staff helps provide Florida with a future of energy independence and environmental sustainability. FSEC is also responsible for testing and certification of solar systems sold in the state of Florida. For more information about FSEC, please visit www.floridaenergycenter.org, or send your questions to info@fsec.ucf.edu.

G.W. Robinson Builders, Inc., Gainesville, FL – 352-373-1724, www.gwrobinson.com

H.K.W. Enterprises, Inc., Gainesville, FL – 352-377-2240

LifeStyle Homes, Melbourne, FL – 321-727-8188, www.buildingalifestyle.com

Schackow Realty and Development
(Innovative Home Builders of North Florida, Inc.) –
386-454-3174, innovativehomebuilders@gmail.com

Skobel Development, Gainesville, FL – 352-224-5545, www.skobel.com

Tommy Williams Homes, Gainesville, FL – 352-331-8180, www.tommywilliamshomes.com

With unemployment at an all-time high, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is investing in solar workforce development and providing $2.8 million to the University of Central Florida’s Solar Energy Center (FSEC) to help lead those efforts.

During a train-the-trainer event at the Florida Solar Energy Center, participants learn about solar technologies and developing training curricula.

FSEC was selected as one of nine national institutions that will operate the newly created Solar Installer Instructor Training Network.

The national network will address a critical need for high-quality, local and accessible training in solar system design, installation, sales and inspection. The training network is a five-year effort intended to create a geographic blanket of training opportunities in solar installations across the United States. Its goals are to accelerate market adoption of solar technologies by ensuring that high-quality installations are standard and to create sustainable jobs within the solar installation industry.

FSEC, a research institute at UCF, will operate the Southeast region of the seven-region network. The $2.8 million award from DOE will provide solar workforce development train-the-trainer programs for educational institutions in the southern U.S. and territories. FSEC will create a Southern Solar Energy Training Network by teaming with the following state and territory partners:

• Florida Energy Office
• Technology Assessment Division of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
• Arkansas Energy Office of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission
• Energy Division of the Mississippi Development Authority
• Alabama Energy Division
• Southface, Georgia
• Energy Affairs Administration of Puerto Rico
• U. S. Virgin Islands, Energy Office in Office of the Governor

Southface, of Atlanta, will assist in the overall coordination of the program.

“We are very pleased to receive the prestigious recognition of being a U.S. leader in solar training and that the program will enable our partner institutions throughout the Southeast to offer solar training programs in their communities,” said project director David Block of FSEC.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, with more than 30 years of training experience in the solar energy arena, will collaborate with its partners to expand the existing model of its longstanding alternative energy training programs. Planned activities are to develop and disseminate model curricula, incorporate lessons learned and best practices, increase the capacity of educational providers to train workers in photovoltaics and solar water heating, and provide regional forums regarding instructor training. Other activities include the establishment of an advisory board, training students at local sites and evaluating the training.

DOE plans to invest $27 million, including $10 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, to establish the network of regional resource and training providers. The DOE program, in partnership with the U.S. departments of Labor and Education, will address workforce development barriers within the solar industry. The new Solar Installer Instructor Training network promotes high-quality training in the installation of solar technologies.

More information about the Solar Installer Instructor Network can be viewed at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/instructor_training_network.html

ASHRAE – American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, Air-Conditioning Engineers

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recognized 56 members and one chapter for contributions to ASHRAE and the HVAC&R industry at the Society’s 2009 Annual Conference in June.

The Florida Solar Energy Center’s James Cummings and Charles (Chuck) Withers, Jr. received the 2008 Journal Paper Award for their article, Problems Related to Air Handler Leakage. The award honors the best paper or article published in ASHRAE Journal.

The article, published in the January 2008 issue, considers energy impacts of air-handling unit (AHU) leakage, but focuses primarily on Indoor Air Quality problems and health risks caused by duct leakage, especially as they relate to the location of the AHU. Air leakage of AHUs is a subset of a much larger duct leakage problem that exists in homes, which has large energy and demand impacts associated with it.

James Cummings accepts the Journal Paper Award at ASHRAE's June conference in Louisville, KY.

Charles (Chuck) Withers displays his Journal Paper Award. Unfortunately he was unable to attend the conference and accept it in person.

“The ASHRAE Journal is probably the most respected periodical among the air-conditioning engineering community. Jim and Chuck have made numerous significant scientific contributions that have led to industry-wide changes. I am very pleased to see them receive this recognition,” said Robin Vieira, director of Buildings Research at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC).

Cummings is program director, and Withers is senior research analyst of Buildings Research at FSEC, a research institute of the University of Central Florida.

Their article can be seen here http://www.ashrae.org/docLib/20090715_cummings.pdf.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 51,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.

Florida Department of Community Affairs

With assistance from the Florida American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Florida Department of Community Affairs’ Weatherization Assistance Program is offering grants to qualifying low-income households for energy-efficient home improvements.

Preference is given to owner-occupied homes, elderly (60 years-plus) or physically disabled residents, families with children under 12 and households with a high-energy bills.

Contact your local Weatherization Assistance Program office to see if you qualify or visit www.FloridaCommunityDevelopment.org/WAP for more information about the program.