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.

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This series of online courses offers practical education from building science experts with more than 30 years of research and experience. These courses are appropriate for architects, builders, contractors, designers, educators, energy auditors, energy raters, engineers, prospective homebuyers and utility representatives.

During these tough economic times, builders are looking for ways to attract home buyers and the new government administration is concentrating on creating “green jobs.”  Zero Energy Homes provide an opportunity to accomplish both and save consumers money while reducing their carbon footprint. These courses will show participants how to maximize energy-efficient design, make the best “green” choices, and optimize performance from solar and home energy management systems.

The 12-course Webinar series begins June 3, 2009.

“We’re excited to offer online courses so we can reach a larger audience,” said Rob Vieira, Buildings Research director at Florida Solar Energy Center. “A unique feature of our Webinars is that most courses will include a video case study, showing the successful implementation of green building strategies – from design to occupancy,” added Vieira.

FSEC will offer two online courses each month, beginning on June 3. Participants who attend 10 of the Webinars and pass a quiz will receive a Certificate for Zero Energy Home Building. The complete list of courses offered in 2009 include:

1. Defining a Zero Energy Green Home – June 3
2. Designing a Zero Energy Green Home – June 17
3. Highly Efficient Water Heating Choices – July 1
4. Selecting Solar Water Heating for Zero Energy Green Homes – July 15
5. Selecting Windows and Walls for a Zero Energy Green Home – August 5
6. Constructing Roofs and Attics for a Zero Energy Green Home – August 19
7. HVAC Systems for Zero Energy Green Homes – September 2
8. Selecting Appliances and Plug Loads for a Zero Energy Green Home – September 16
9. Sizing and Selecting Solar Electric Systems for a Zero Energy Green Home – October 7
10. Using Your Home Solar Electric System for Emergency Power – October 21
11. Installation Considerations for Solar Electric Systems – November 4
12. Monitoring and Operating the Zero Energy Green Home – November 18

For more details about the courses and to register, visit www.floridaenergycenter.org/go/zero

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The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) received $2 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) grant to be home to a regional building technology application center. The center, to be located at FSEC’s facility in Cocoa, will serve 12 states and produce projects that will substantially increase the deployment of high-performance “beyond-code” buildings across the Southeast.

Washington State University is the site of the other center.

“Rising energy costs and climate change initiatives have led to increasing concern on the appropriate steps to take to reduce energy use,” said Rob Vieira, director of Buildings Research at the Florida Solar Energy Center. “Through this exciting project we hope to provide information to help those seeking to lower their energy bills and protect our environment and natural resources.”

The project will work to build upon the goals and policies in place with other states, utilities and energy-efficiency partnership-based programs to promote DOE Building Technology Program goals for advanced energy-efficient building codes, standards and zero-energy buildings.

“Promoting the early commercialization of solar and other energy efficient technologies will help secure America’s clean energy future,” said Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman.

Regional partnerships will be key to the success of the project. The Southern Energy Efficiency Center, the State of Florida Department of Community Affairs, Texas A&M University and the Southface Institute in Atlanta will work in partnership with the Florida Solar Energy Center to ensure project goals and deadlines are met.

The project kickoff meeting was held Nov. 14 in Morgantown, W. Va. At the meeting, project managers and partners presented overall objectives, implementation schedules and the general approach to project initiatives.

The Florida Solar Energy Center is a research institute of the University of Central Florida. It is the largest and most active state-supported energy research institute in the country. Center 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 (photovoltaics) and distributed generation systems. For more information, visit www.floridaenergycenter.org or call the FSEC Public Affairs Office at 321-638-1015.

UCF Stands for Opportunity: Established in 1963, the University of Central Florida is a diverse metropolitan research university that ranks as the 6th-largest in the country with more than 48,000 students. Located in Orlando, Fla., UCF offers high-quality undergraduate and graduate education, student development and continuing education, while conducting cutting-edge research that powers the region’s economic development. For more UCF news, visit news.ucf.edu.

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