Dear Florida Homeowner,

Are you interested in saving money on your utility bills?  Do you wish your home used less energy and was more comfortable? Have you considered investing in a major home renovation? If so, your home may qualify for a free energy assessment, incentives through your local utility company, and free technical assistance from one of the nation’s leading national laboratories.

UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) is partnering with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to help homeowners achieve 30 to 50 percent energy savings through home efficiency retrofits!  If your house qualifies, your renovation will be part of a research study for PNNL that can help inform the nation about retrofit best practices. 

PNNL and FSEC are looking for homes that meet the following criteria:

• Home was built prior to 2005 (at least 5 yrs. old)
• Home primarily uses a central heating and cooling system (wood stoves, fireplaces, whole house fans or other unusual systems cannot be primary heating or cooling system)
• Home is occupied year-round by the owner
• Owners do not open windows often when the HVAC system is on
• Owners do not have business (other than small home office) or other unusual energy intensive equipment in the home
• Owners do not allow smoking in the home

If your home meets the preceding criteria and you are interested in saving money on your utility bills and improving the energy efficiency of your home, complete the online form at http://deepenergyretrofits.pnnl.gov/documents/informational.doc to express your interest. For more information, visit http://deepenergyretrofits.pnnl.gov or contact Karen Sutherland, ksutherland@fsec.ucf.edu or 321-638-1474.

Please note: Participation in this research project will include construction activity that may produce elevated levels of particulate matter and chemical emissions during the days such activity is conducted and for up to a few days after that.  This normally does not pose a hazard to healthy persons, but persons with acute respiratory illness, multiple chemical sensitivities, or other diseases or sensitivities may experience aggravated symptoms as a result of this activity. Homeowners are urged to consider this factor before choosing to participate in this study.

Share/Save

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

Share/Save

Additionally, these new homes will meet other stringent “quality criteria” for indoor air quality, durability and comfort set forth in DOE’s new Builders Challenge program (www.buildingamerica.gov/challenge).

The Builders Challenge is backed by two decades of research conducted by DOE’s Building America program (www.buildingamerica.gov) that proves this goal can be achieved cost-effectively all across the country. FSEC, located on the UCF Brevard campus in Cocoa, leads one of DOE’s Building America teams (www.baihp.org) and has worked with a dozen of the first builders to achieve the Builders Challenge.

FSEC researchers will co-host the unveiling of LifeStyle Homes’ first Builders Challenge home this Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m. The public and home building community are invited to the event, which will include a tour and testing demonstrations. Look for signs in the Whispering Winds community off Dairy Road in West Melbourne. For directions, visit the LifeStyle Homes Web site: www.BuildingALifeStyle.com.

LifeStyle Homes' SunSmart models meet the DOE's Builders Challenge quality criteria.

LifeStyle Homes – based in Melbourne, Fla. – is the first Brevard County builder to achieve the Builders Challenge with its new line of SunSmart^SM models. FSEC’s Building America researchers provided technical assistance and third-party certification to LifeStyle Homes, which is required by the Builders Challenge criteria.

“We are extremely proud of our collaboration with LifeStyle Homes,” says Dr. Subrato Chandra, FSEC’s Building America program director. “We look forward to many more of these high-performance Builders Challenge homes being built. We plan to work alongside LifeStyle Homes every step of the way as they work toward our mutual goal of building zero energy homes, which provide their total energy needs from the power of the sun.”

Larry Hufford, founding partner of LifeStyle Homes, echoes the thoughts of many Builders Challenge participants.

“Increasing the energy efficiency of our homes offers solid benefits to our customers,” Hufford said. “It helps them save on their monthly and annual energy bills, and it is the right thing for us to do in moving our country toward energy independence.”

For more information, contact
Neil Moyer, FSEC Building America researcher, 321-638-1409
Jake Luhn, LifeStyle Homes, 321- 727-8188 extension 303

###

PR-06rev

Share/Save