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.

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A Florida utility and a Florida company, organization or individual that demonstrate statewide leadership and significant accomplishments in sustainability and energy savings will be honored. Last year’s recipient was Ann C. Wilkie, associate professor at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). She was recognized for her extensive work in alternative energy – creating bio-energy from animal waste – and her leadership in promoting awareness and understanding of renewable energy and sustainable practices. Previous award winners also include Walt Disney World and Sarasota County Government. There were no applicants last year for the Florida Utility Energy Achievement Award.

Results recognized through the awards could include reducing energy use, water conservation, renewable energy generation, the use of alternative fuel vehicles and renovations or retrofits with energy-saving measures. Other results could include reducing pollution, innovative energy-saving performance contracts or utility energy services contracts, having a major impact on public education regarding energy issues or playing a prominent role in educating or disseminating information related to energy conservation.

Applications for the 2008 awards must be received at the Florida Solar Energy Center by January 16, 2009.

To apply for the award, interested organizations and individuals should send the form available at the bottom of this release and a letter to FSEC highlighting a key project and documenting its impact and effectiveness. The letter must give information on the program or activities that qualify for the award.  Well-documented, quantifiable measures should be included to demonstrate the energy savings and environmental benefits to Florida. The utility competition is open to all Florida utility companies. The general competition is open to all Florida companies, organizations and individuals. Staff members of the Florida Solar Energy Center and their families are not eligible for either competition.

Applications should be sent to:
Dr. James Fenton, Director
Florida Solar Energy Center
1679 Clearlake Road
Cocoa, Florida 32922

Applications should be postmarked by January 16, 2009. Questions should be directed to Philip Fairey at 321-638-1005 or pfairey@fsec.ucf.edu.

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 country. 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 www.floridaenergycenter.org or call the FSEC Public Affairs Office at 321-638-1015.

Applications in pdf can be downloaded below:

Florida Energy Achievement Award

Florida Energy Achievement Award for Utilities

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