Eligible participants will be compensated $50 for the initial study, and up to $680 for those who are selected to participate in the monitoring and repair portion of the project; repair costs will be paid by FSEC. Homes for the study are being sought in the following Florida counties: Brevard, Osceola, Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Lake, Marion, Putnam, Flagler, St. Johns, Clay, Duval and Nassau.

Wind-driven attic air is pushed into the space between floors.

Wind washing involves the flow of air from an attic space into the floor cavity between the first and second stories of the house. Homes with wind washing are likely to experience increased utility costs and, in some cases, indoor comfort problems.

The FSEC research team will be conducting about five hours of testing in each home. Testing will examine airtightness, air pressure fields in the house, air conditioner performance, duct leakage and attic-to-floor cavity air leak pathways.

Twenty-four homes will be tested. Six of those homes will be selected for repairs, and they will be monitored to evaluate the cooling and heating energy savings from the repairs.

The findings of this research study will help to inform contractors and utility programs on methods for identifying and repairing wind washing problems in homes.

If you are interested in participating in this research project, visit http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/go/TwoStory or contact Jeremy Nelson at 407-243-8197 or jnelson@fsec.ucf.edu.

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 2nd largest in the nation with more than 56,000 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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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

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This series of courses will demonstrate:

• How to design and maintain a green building that has good indoor air quality
• How to make a building durable, comfortable and energy efficient
• How to protect buildings from mold
• What types of air-conditioning systems will cause mold problems
• What advanced dehumidification technologies are available for use in buildings.

“A recent study finds about 25 percent of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified green buildings use more energy than expected and about 12 percent use more energy than allowed by the building code. Our courses will provide the knowledge to address these issues,” said Rob Vieira, director of buildings research at FSEC.

The courses will focus on problems in commercial buildings, although the principles discussed will be applicable to all buildings. The FSEC buildings researchers will discuss such areas as ventilation requirements, humidity control, building envelope design, pressure imbalances, HVAC systems, window selection, vapor barriers and related issues.

Students who attend all five courses in the series and pass the exam in Courses one, two and three will earn an FSEC Green Commercial Building Design and Maintenance Certificate.

The courses and schedules are:

Course 1: “Designing Building Envelopes to Control Air and Moisture in High Performance Green Buildings,” Feb. 4

Course 2: “Designing and Maintaining Building Air Flows in High Performance Green Buildings,” Feb. 5

Course 3: “Designing and Maintaining HVAC Systems for High Performance Green Buildings,” Feb. 18

Course 4: “Design Charrette — Practice Design of a High Performance Green Building,” Feb. 19

Course 5: “Commercial Energy Code and Green Building Modeling Using EnergyGauge Summit,” Feb. 26

The cost of each course is $269. For more information about the courses or to register, visit: www.floridaenergycenter.org/go/courseschedule.

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Fenton has led his team in a wide variety of hydrogen research activities, although he specializes in fuel cell applications. Fenton’s award-winning work focuses on the research and development of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. PEM fuel cells transform chemical energy released during the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to electrical energy, rather than producing mechanical energy as current internal combustion engines do. While PEM fuel cells are being developed primarily for the next-generation automobile engine, they are also being developed as sources for portable power and emergency backup power applications.

One major contribution from Fenton and his team¿s research is the development of a fuel cell with a patented membrane that allows it to operate at higher temperatures and under drier environments than present commercial membranes. This translates to higher fuel cell efficiency and lower costs, which allows the use of smaller radiators in automobiles and more useful waste heat recovery in stationary applications.

“Dr. Fenton has made many contributions to the fundamentals of electrochemical engineering as a discipline,” wrote Ali Raissi, FSEC director of hydrogen research, in his nomination letter.

As well as being an expert in his field, Fenton is also an author, teacher and energy research advocate. His papers have appeared in more than 65 peer-reviewed journals, and he has given hundreds of technical presentations and seminars. He has graduated 37 students with advanced degrees, and several of them have achieved recognition as leaders in the fuel cell field.

Fenton serves as the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) technical point of contact for its High Temperature Membrane Working Group, and he is also a newly elected Fellow of The Electrochemical Society. Most recently, Fenton was appointed by Florida Governor Charlie Crist as a member of the Florida Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change, which is charged with preserving Florida¿s natural environment through developing recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify the state’s energy resources.

At FSEC, Fenton has made significant contributions to research and education by establishing and staffing the UCF fuel cell research laboratory at the center. He has also excelled in attracting external research grants and contract support during his three years at FSEC.

“By joining and leading FSEC, Dr. Fenton has tremendously elevated the center’s reputation among both the state and federal agencies tasked with energy research and development,” said Raissi.

The award was presented to Dr. Fenton as part of the UCF Founder’s Day Honors Convocation on April 2, 2008.

About the Florida Solar Energy Center

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.

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The program was started three years ago as a joint effort between the National Energy Foundation, Johnson Controls and FSEC to recognize Brevard County students who have produced outstanding research relating to renewable energy or energy conservation. This year, 22 students will be honored for their individual projects, along with the top three Energy Patrols from Brevard schools. Three exceptional transportation-related projects will also be recognized by the Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition.

The student projects cover a wide range of energy subjects from fuel sources such as biodiesel and tidal energy to future energy strategies including hydrogen fuel cells and zero-energy homes. The Energy Patrols are being honored for their work in their schools and community to conserve energy. The schools being monitored by the Energy Patrols have seen a noticeable reduction in the amount of electricity wasted, resulting in lower electricity bills for the county.

Students will be available at the ceremony to answer questions regarding their research. The projects will also be available for viewing from the afternoon of May 4 through the evening of May 6 at the Florida Solar Energy Center. For more information, call Penny Hall at 321-638-1017.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research center in the country. Current research activities include solar water and pool heating, solar electric and distributed generation systems, energy-efficient buildings, alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel, fuel cells and other energy areas. For more information about the center, visit www.fsec.ucf.edu or call the FSEC Public Affairs Office at (321) 638-1015.

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The study will be conducted between now and October, and is a Phase II project of ongoing investigations of issues and approaches to relative humidity (RH) control in homes. Financial incentives are available for homes chosen for the study.

Each year, more than 900,000 Floridians leave the state for part or all of the summer. These residents must decide how to best control RH in their homes that will be left unoccupied during hot and humid summer months. FSEC staff conducted research last year under funding from Florida Power and Light to determine guidelines for vacant homes to avoid mold problems while minimizing both customer energy usage and electrical load during utility peak hours.

Two objectives were set for determining whether adequate humidity control was being achieved. RH should stay below 65% most of the time and below 70% nearly all of the time. Seventy percent RH is considered to be a critical level, above which mold growth is likely or probable.

Two methods were identified that did not provide good control of indoor RH.

1. Letting the house “float” (no air conditioning or other systems operating). In most homes, “letting the building float” resulted in average RH of about 70%, which is marginal at best.
2. Setting the air conditioner at 850F and letting the system cycle ON and OFF to maintain that temperature. Setting the thermostat at 850F did not yield acceptable RH control primarily because the air-conditioning system did not operate sufficient time to yield adequate moisture removal.

Three methods were identified that could provide good control of indoor RH.

1. Running the AC system at a low temperature (such as 740F) for a two-hour period such as 3 to 5 a.m. In most homes, this approach keeps RH below 65% most of the time.
2. Operating a dehumidifier can effectively control indoor RH. In many homes, operation of the dehumidifier on a timer for 3-4 hours per day keeps RH below 65% RH. In cases where the home has higher air leakage (infiltration), or in larger homes, longer run times may be necessary. Dehumidifiers generate a good deal of heat. The heat generated by the dehumidifier lowers the RH because each degree Fahrenheit of temperature rise lowers RH by about 2 percentage points.
3. Space heating in the summer can control indoor RH because higher temperatures produce lower RH. Therefore, if a house is heated to 88-900F, then the RH will be about 65% most of the time just because of the higher temperature. Initial indications show that this approach consumes more energy than the other two approaches, especially if space heating is done with electric resistance heat.

The first two of these three methods are considered, at this point, to be the most proven. Now the researchers are looking for some vacant houses in which to set up their monitoring equipment to further study these concepts. If you have a home near Cocoa that you’d like to make available to the researchers, call Chuck Withers at (321) 638-1419, Jim Cummings at (321) 638-1403, or Danny Parker at (321) 638-1405.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research center in the country. Current research activities include solar water and pool heating, solar electric and distributed generation systems, energy-efficient buildings, alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel, fuel cells and other energy areas. For more information about the center, visit www.fsec.ucf.edu or call theFSEC Public Information Office at (321) 638-1015.

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The resolution, adopted by the board of directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) on February 16, included FSEC in a group of leading national research organizations that deserve continued public and private support to continue their important missions. NARUC directors agreed to pursue their efforts to obtain further support for FSEC and the other organizations “to improve our nation’s energy supply and delivery infrastructure to help secure the United States’ domestic energy future.” The NARUC board additionally directed its executive director “to pursue a formal lobbying strategy that will achieve these research and development objectives.”

The board resolution also noted that research and development from these research organizations is essential to maintaining the countrys secure and long-term energy infrastructure.

FSEC energy research and development efforts include both basic and applied research and encompass a broad range of technologies, including high-performance buildings, photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, distributed power systems, hydrogen and alternative fuels, fuel cells, pollutant detoxification, energy systems testing and certification, energy codes and standards research, and education, training and certification for energy professionals. Jim Fenton, director of the center, noted that “Over the past 25 years, these FSEC research and development activities have created more than $2 billion in estimated consumer energy savings, enhanced industry development and job creation and contributed significantly to energy and environmental security.”

Other organizations cited by NARUC include the Electric Power Research Institute, Gas Technology Institute, Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center, Iowa Energy Center, Rutgers Center for Energy, Economic & Environmental Policy, North Carolina Alternative Energy Corporation, University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies, and the national energy laboratories.

FSEC is a research institute of the University of Central Florida and is the statewide energy research institute for Florida. More information on the center is available at www.fsec.ucf.edu.

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This multi-year, multi-million dollar project is funded by grants from NASA Glenn Research Center with the objective of supporting NASAs hydrogen-related space and space launch activities. The total funding for this years NASA Hydrogen Research at Florida Universities was $7.275 million. FSEC is co-program manager with the  University of Florida.

The projects selected for the FSEC-led program were chosen through a merit-review, competitive solicitation process by NASA Glenn Research Center and NASA Kennedy Space Center program managers, with review by FSEC program managers.

Dr. Ali Raissi, Director of the Hydrogen R&D Division at FSEC, stated, This research is important to NASA because it represents a potential dollar savings to them of as much as $25 million per year. These savings can be realized by avoiding loss of hydrogen through storage tank boiloff, employing local production of hydrogen, implementing new sensor technologies, and utilizing densified propellants.

The fact that the KSC launch operation mimics prototypical future vehicular hydrogen fueling stations, in both fuel volume dispensed and its energy content, means that the investment in this research program will pay dividends as a model that can be replicated throughout the U. S. for the nations future hydrogen economy.

Research resulting from the awards is expected to develop technologies and methodologies that can be applied by NASA for local hydrogen production and storage, advance safety through breakthrough sensor technologies, utilize high performance densified propellants, and expand the public’s knowledge and understanding of hydrogen through education. New this year will be research to develop the use of fuel cells for aeropropulsion applications. This is also the first year that Florida A&M University will participate in this program.

The complete list of 30 projects funded by the $4.85 million may be seen at http://www.hydrogenresearch.org/news.htm.

This three-year partnership has resulted in a successful scientific collaboration among seven Florida universities with a number of successes, including a strong technical program on an important national issue the hydrogen economy. The partnership’s research has secured well over $10 million in funding from U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation and Department of Defense and has generated tens of millions of dollars in proposals still pending.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, an Institute of the University of Central Florida, has a long history of hydrogen research and education. Its hydrogen program began in 1983 with funding from NASA/Kennedy Space Center, and in 1997 FSEC was designated a Center of Excellence in Hydrogen Research and Education by the U.S. Department of Energy. Today, with the announcement of these awards, FSEC continues to expand its work in hydrogen research through the NASA program.

The Florida Solar Energy Center is the largest and most active state-supported renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development organization in the United States and functions as the State’s energy research and training center. For more information about FSEC’s hydrogen research programs, visit http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/hydrogen or http://hydrogenresearch.org. For information about all of FSEC’s programs, call FSEC Public Information Office at (321) 638-1015 or go to http://www.fsec.ucf.edu.

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Air conditioning is the largest energy user in most sunbelt region homes. Unfortunately, the system to rate air-conditioning systems for efficiency doesn’t always correspond with energy use in the field, sometimes underestimating energy use by 10 – 30 percent.

FSEC will be working with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Advanced Energy, and the Energy Center of Wisconsin on this two-year, $1.5 million project. They will be assisted by four subcontractors: the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, CDH Energy, Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Researchers will work on developing new approaches recognizing regional needs and new technologies in calculating air-conditioner performance ratings. They will also conduct several field studies comparing ratings with actual field performance, analyzing the effects of incorrectly sized units, and assessing strategies such as control of system cooling capacity and airflow. In addition to other research tasks, an extensive training program will be offered to heating, ventilating and air-conditioning contractors.

Don Shirey, a Principal Research Engineer at FSEC, explained that “FSEC’s efforts will be focused on the tasks related to collecting field performance data on the benefits of proper equipment sizing, developing a new central air conditioner optimized for hot humid climates, information dissemination, and HVAC contractor training. FSEC has considerable experience in each of these areas and looks forward to working with our other collaborative partners in applying our experience on this new project.”

The State Technologies Advancement Collaborative was created by the National Association of State Energy Officials, the Association of State Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions, and the U.S. Department of Energy to help states and the federal government work together on innovative energy research, development, demonstration and deployment projects.

For more information on this project, contact Shirey at 321-638-1451.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research center in the country. Current research activities include solar water and pool heating, solar electric and distributed generation systems, energy-efficient buildings, alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel, and other energy areas. For more information, call the FSEC Public Information Office at (321) 638-1015 or go to http://www.fsec.ucf.edu.

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The World Hydrogen Energy Conference provided a setting for scientists to present their research on methods to provide the world with clean energy, including a new paradigm featuring hydrogen. The budding hydrogen economy will be brought about by emerging science and technologies such as those featured at the conference.

The research conducted by Drs. Huang and Raissi was initially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. It is now part of a multi-year, multi-million dollar grant for a hydrogen research and development program funded by NASA Glenn Research Center, involving research at several Florida universities. The program is managed by FSEC.

Dr. Huang, principal investigator for this project, said, “I am honored to receive this award. To have my work recognized by the leaders of this conference is, indeed, an honor.” Dr. Raissi added that “This is a real honor for us since our work was recognized by the scientific committee of WHEC-15 and especially the committee’s chair Professor Hideo Kameyama, who is the world-renowned researcher in the thermochemical hydrogen production arena and the inventor of the famous UT-3 cycle.”

Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, but on earth, it is chemically reactive and exists at normal conditions in combination with other elements such as oxygen in water or carbon in natural gas. This leads to a technical problem with hydrogen: it must be produced or extracted from the compound in which it is contained. In the long term, hydrogen must be produced from sustainable resources such as solar energy and water. In their research, Drs. Raissi and Huang address the production of hydrogen through high-temperature thermochemical water-splitting cycles.

The use of thermochemical water-splitting cycles (TCWSCs) employing solar energy as a heat source is an innovative approach to produce hydrogen. It presents a viable option for the future production of hydrogen. TCWSCs can be highly efficient processes compared to other hydrogen production methods based on water splitting.

Several presentations submitted by FSEC researchers were presented at the conference. To view their presentations, please visit http://www.hydrogenresearch.org/WHEC15.htm The Florida Solar Energy Center is the largest and most active state-supported renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development organization in the United States and functions as the State’s energy research and training center. For more information about FSEC’s hydrogen research programs, visit http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/hydrogen or call FSEC Public Information Office at (321) 638-1015 or go to http://www.fsec.ucf.edu.

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