Opportunities for Florida from Florida Solar Energy Center on Vimeo.

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As part of the SunSmart Schools Emergency Shelter (E-Shelter) program, administered by UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), 90 public schools in Florida will each receive a PV system with battery backup. The grant money for the $10 million state program came from federal economic stimulus funds.

FSEC will host a free Webinar for potential bidders to address any questions about the Invitation to Bid. The Webinar will be on June 2; a morning and afternoon session is available. Pre-registration is required and space is limited – only one registrant from each company is permitted.

Bids will be evaluated for compliance with the program specifications, including a requirement for American-made products. Awards will be made to the lowest qualified bidder in each of eight regions of the state.

Contractor selection is expected by late June, with installation at the schools expected to begin in August. All 90 systems will be installed at the schools by early 2012.

The 10-kilowatt solar electric system will provide power to the shelter during outages for critical energy needs such as lighting, communications and essential medical equipment. During normal operations, it will offset electricity costs to the school and reduce greenhouse gases.

The Invitation to Bid document can be downloaded from UCF at: http://www.purchasing.ucf.edu/bids/Bid%20solicitations/
Luis%20Aviles/ITB%201030LCSA/1030LCSA.doc.

Register for the Webinar at: http://livewire.fsec.ucf.edu/sunsmart/webinar/installer_prereg.html

Following is a list of the finalist schools selected for the E-Shelter program.

For more information about the program, visit www.fsec.ucf.edu/go/sunsmart.

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 3rd 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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PR10-07

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The eighth-annual EnergyWhiz Olympics is day-long event showcasing student projects in alternative energy. Activities include the Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint, Energy Innovations and the Bright House Solar Energy Cook-off. The general public is invited to observe all activities.

• The Junior Solar Sprint is a competition that challenges middle school students to design, build and race model solar cars. Awards are given based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed.
• The Hydrogen Sprint is a high school competition that provides opportunities for students to explore hydrogen fuel cell power with a hands-on design component and a presentation.
• The Energy Innovations program is a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each participating team designs and constructs a product or artistic work fully powered by photovoltaics (PV), also called solar electric cells. Teams also create marketing pieces – such as brochures, fliers, and posters – to accompany their products.
• The Bright House Solar Energy Cook-off challenges students, in grades 4^th – 8^th, to design and build solar cookers, and to also cook a recipe of their own creation using the power of the sun.  In Top Chef-style, each dish will be judged by a panel of experts based on taste, ingredients and creativity.

WHY:

These hands-on renewable energy competitions – for elementary, middle and high school students – expose students to alternative energy fuel sources, and encourage scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork.

WHO:

More than 650 elementary, middle, and high school Florida students – from Tallahassee to Miami and everywhere in between – will participate in the EnergyWhiz Olympics.

WHEN:

Saturday, May 1 starting at 9 a.m.

9:00 a.m.      Welcome – Auditorium, Dr. James Fenton, Director, FSEC

9:30 a.m.      Technical Judging Begins –

Junior Solar Sprint

Hydrogen Sprint

Hydrogen Sprint Presentations

Energy Innovations Displays Open to Public

Solar Energy Cook-Off – Design Judging

Solar Cookers – Displays Open to Public

10:30 a.m.            Energy Innovations Judging

11:30 a.m.            Junior Solar Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 1)

12 noon      Hydrogen Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 2)

2:00 p.m.            Solar Energy Cook-off – Recipe Judging (Auditorium)

3:30 p.m.            Awards Ceremony (Auditorium)

WHERE:

Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

For more information on these exciting educational events, visit

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/events/ewhiz_olympics.htm or view a video about the EnergyWhiz Olympics at http://vimeo.com/982597.

CONTACT:

Susan Schleith, FSEC Education Coordinator, at 321-638-1017 or Susan@fsec.ucf.edu.

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Nearly 800 schools in Florida that are designated as Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area (EHPA) shelters are eligible to participate in the E-Shelter program. The selection process will be highly competitive. Schools will be ranked based on demographics, emergency shelter needs, partnerships and existing renewable energy education and outreach plans.

The application process is simple, straightforward and done completely online. “We have worked diligently to make the application process as easy as possible,” said James Haggard, coordinator of Web Engineering at FSEC.

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

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PR10-03

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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.

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• The Junior Solar Sprint is a competition that challenges middle school students to design, build and race model solar cars. Awards are given based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed.
• The Hydrogen Sprint is a high school competition that provides opportunities for students to explore hydrogen power with a hands-on design component and a presentation.
• The Energy Innovations program is a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each participating team designs and constructs a product or artistic work fully powered by photovoltaics (PV), also called solar electric cells. Teams also create marketing pieces, such as brochures, fliers, and posters, to accompany their products.
• The Bright House Solar Energy Cook-Off challenges students, in grades 4th – 8th, to design and build solar cookers, and to also cook a recipe of their own creation using the power of the sun.  In Top Chef-style, each dish will be judged by a panel of experts based on taste, ingredients and creativity.

WHY:
These hands-on renewable energy competitions – for elementary, middle and high school students – expose students to alternative energy fuel sources, and encourage scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork.

WHO:
More than 650 elementary, middle, and high school Florida students – from Tallahassee to Miami and everywhere in between – will participate in the EnergyWhiz Olympics.

Number of Teams in Each Competition –
Junior Solar Sprint:  60
Hydrogen Sprint:  13
Energy Innovations:  12
Solar Cook-off:  46

WHEN:
Saturday, May 9 starting at 9 a.m.

9:00 a.m.    Welcome – Auditorium
Dr. James Fenton, Director, Florida Solar Energy Center

9:30 a.m.    Technical Judging Begins – Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint
Hydrogen Sprint Presentations
Energy Innovations Displays Open to Public
Solar Energy Cook-Off – Design Judging
Solar Cookers – Displays Open to Public

11:30 a.m.    Energy Innovations Judging – Middle School Teams

12 noon    Energy Innovations Judging – High School Teams
Junior Solar Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 1)

1:00 p.m.    Hydrogen Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 2)

2:00 p.m.    Solar Energy Cook-Off – Recipe Judging (Auditorium)

3:30 p.m.    Awards Ceremony (Auditorium)

WHERE:
Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

For more information on these exciting educational events, visit
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/events/ewhiz_olympics.htm or view a video about the EnergyWhiz Olympics at http://vimeo.com/982597.

Contact Susan Schleith, FSEC Education Coordinator, at 321-638-1017 or Susan@fsec.ucf.edu.

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PR09-07

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Water heating is the second largest home consumer of energy, and the performance of some systems on the market today have never been tested under realistic and extreme weather conditions. Testing in the lab will help provide answers the solar industry, utilities and home builders are looking for to increase energy efficiency.

Mr. Robert Hassett, U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Manager, cuts the ribbon at the opening celebration of FSEC's new Hot Water Systems Laboratory. He's joined by (from left to right) Danny Parker, principal investigator, Subrato Chandra, project manager, and Carlos Colon, task leader.

“This project is an important part of Building America’s goal of zero energy buildings by year 2020,” said Robert Hassett, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Manager. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Program funded the lab at FSEC, a research institute of the University of Central Florida.

The facility, which opened on Wednesday, will be a hub to test solar, tankless and conventional domestic water heating systems for efficiency.

“Solar water heating is an excellent way to save energy on water heating and reduce whole-house energy use, but utilities are specifically interested in knowing whether or not solar is providing relief to the power grid during peak times. Our testing will answer their questions,” says Subrato Chandra, the Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership project manager. This information is key to utility “buy-in” to more aggressively sponsor solar water heating systems.

This side-by-side testing will evaluate the impact of systems on the utility power grid according to time-of-day usage, and will also enhance and validate simulation models for solar water heating systems. Danny Parker, principal investigator noted, “Solar integrated collector and storage (ICS) systems, where the storage tank is on the roof and sensitive to weather, have never been verified before, only simulated, so we’re interested in seeing how they work particularly on winter mornings.”

Seven systems are currently responding to the same conditions and schedule of use to compare their energy performance and time-of-day electric loads. Over 90 channels of data are being collected. This flexible facility will evaluate how the water heating systems perform without the influence of family usage habits.

“Our tests are performed under more realistic, yet controlled conditions. We’re using real inlet water temperatures and varying the quantity of water being used, something that hasn’t been done before,” says Carlos Colon, task leader of the project.

The seven systems currently being tested are:

1.  Standard 50-gallon electric water heater

2.  40 sq. ft. collector/80-gallon tank flat plate direct solar water heating system with a differential-controller

3.  32 sq. ft. collector/40 gallon integrated collector storage (ICS) system with a standard 50 gallon electric tank for backup

4.  40 sq. ft. collector/80 gallon tank flat plate PV-pumped direct solar water heating system

5. 40 gallon conventional natural gas water heater

6. Tankless natural gas water heater

7. Tankless electric water heater

Current tests will run for a full year under its current configuration with the option of testing additional systems.

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.

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A more sustainable form of transportation, the new monorail is designed to move both people and freight high above traffic congestion. In addition to its solar component, the monorail will use lighter aviation materials to reduce energy use.

“Innovations such as this will contribute to a sustainable energy future and provide a fast, safe, practical and socially responsible mode of transportation for people and freight while reducing the environmental impact of transportation,” said Karl Guenther, CEO of STC and the grant’s primary investigator.

William Young, Jr., a senior research engineer at FSEC, is working closely with Guenther and a team of accomplished engineers, including Francis Knize, Co-PI and Dan Simpson of STC, Douglas Tobin of ARC International, Hector Guevara of Nu Dimensions Group, George Taylor of Largo Railroad, and Jan Zicha of Zicha Engineering.

This team is developing innovative alternative transit technology that will evaluate the use of a proprietary transverter and other energy devices. A mini charging station will be constructed for evaluating this new hardware. The partnership will demonstrate transferring energy, from the source to the monorail, faster than existing technology. STC has been researching to build the most technologically advanced transportation system for fourteen years, with 63 claims patented.

The system will be built as a demonstration model to showcase the nation’s leadership and dedication to energy-efficient public transportation. This DOE grant is the first of many that will further a planned life-size demonstration to be executed within three years.

The results of this research grant will be used to develop a future monorail system that will transport visitors throughout the 74 acres of the Museum Of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, Fla., and once funding is obtained, plans to connect the system to Busch Gardens and the University of South Florida.

Additional information may be found a www.stc-in.com.

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This alternative energy competition, sponsored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, highlights the science and engineering skills of middle school and high school students as they participate in activities related to real-world energy issues by racing solar and hydrogen-powered model cars.

“We were so impressed with the level of competition this year,” said Susan Schleith, project manager for the EnergyWhiz Olympics. “Students are beginning to take a real interest in alternative energy, which is promising for our future energy independence.”

There were four main competitions during Saturday’s event: the Junior Solar Sprint, the Hydrogen Sprint, Energy Innovations, and the second portion of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Science Bowl for Middle School Students in the Southeast region – the Hands-On-Hydrogen demonstration – which was sponsored by Bright House Networks.

The Energy Innovations program, a relatively new, real-world design competition, was developed to provide a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each participating team designed and constructed a product or artistic work fully powered by photovoltaics (PV), also called solar electricity. PV panels for this competition were provided by BP. The teams also created marketing pieces, such as brochures, fliers, and posters, to accompany their products.

One of the most popular events each year is the Junior Solar Sprint (JSS), where students design, construct and race solar-powered vehicles. This hands-on competition for middle school students in sixth through eighth grade encourages students to use scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork. The double elimination race was briefly interrupted by light rain showers, which allowed time for teams participating in the race to tweak their vehicles before returning to the track. One of the fastest cars sped to victory down the 20-meter track in an impressive 5.6 seconds.

The Hydrogen Sprint, a similar competition for high school students in grades 9-12, allows students to design, build and race model-sized cars, but these vehicles are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. This competition exposes students to hydrogen’s potential as an alternative fuel source and also gives graduates of the Junior Solar Sprint program an opportunity to continue designing and building alternative-fueled vehicles. Teams that participated in this event were required to give a 10-minute presentation on any aspect of hydrogen they learned about while creating their vehicle.

The Hands-On-Hydrogen competition was the last event of the day. Only the eight finalist teams from the academic portion of the regional DOE National Science Bowl, held previously on April 5, participated in this event. Each team was required to design, build and demonstrate a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to qualify to compete at the National Science Bowl. The top academic team, with their vehicle crossing the finish line, will represent Florida at the national competition on June 22-24, in Golden, Colo.

Lincoln Middle School’s team, from Gainesville, was ranked first out of the eight teams in the academic portion of the Science Bowl, but their vehicle did not complete the race. Second-ranked team Trinity Preparatory School, from Winter Springs, had the winning vehicle in the race, but did not have enough team members present at the event to qualify for nationals. The third-ranked Archimedean Middle

Conservatory team, from Miami, had all team members present, and their vehicle, the “Spartan Mobile”, crossed the finish line. The team from Archimedean Middle Conservatory, made up entirely of sixth-grade students, will travel to the national competition as the youngest team ever to represent Florida at this level, with two of its members being only 10 years old.

Below is the complete list of winners and their project names:

Junior Solar Sprint Winners

Sixth grade race:

1st Place: Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Sponge Bob

2nd Place: Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology, Flamingos

3rd Place: Lewis Carroll Elementary, The Green Hornet

Seventh grade race:

1st Place: Kanapaha Middle School, Solar Sevens

2nd Place: McLane Middle School, Viking 3

3rd Place: Lockhart Middle School, TBFT

Eighth grade race:

1st Place: McLane Middle School, Viking 2

2nd Place: Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Ironman

3rd Place: McLane Middle School, Viking 1

Design:

1st Place: Louis Carroll Elementary, The Green Hornet

2nd Place: Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Sponge Bob

3rd Place: Ronald McNair Magnet School, Solar Eclipse

Innovative:

1st Place: T.E. Weightman Middle School, Solar Flare

2nd Place: Lincoln Middle School, XOXO

3rd Place: Odyssey Middle School, Destiny

Hydrogen Sprint Winners

Design:

1st Place: Lakewood High School, Off Duty

Presentation:

1st Place: Lakewood High School, Catastrophe

Race:

1st Place: Lakewood High School, Team Hydrogen

Overall:

1st Lakewood High School, Off Duty

2nd Lakewood High School, Team Hydrogen

3rd Lakewood High School, Catastrophe

Hands on Hydrogen Winners

Race:

1st Place: Trinity Preparatory School, Knight Rider

2nd Place: Andrew Jackson Middle School, Action Jackson

3rd Place: Archimedean Middle Conservatory, The Spartan Mobile

Design:

1st Place: Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School, Hydrobeast

2nd Place: Archimedean Middle Conservatory, The Spartan Mobile

3rd Place: Trinity Preparatory School, Knight Rider

Energy Innovations Winners

High School:

1st Place: Bayside High School, Portable Water Filtering Station

2nd Place: South Plantation High School, Solar Triton

3rd Place: Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School, Solar I

Middle School:

1st Place: Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology, Solar Streamers

2nd Place: Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Solar Kiddie Cars

In upcoming years, project managers for the EnergyWhiz Olympics hope to expand thecompetition by developing a program for elementary students to design, build and race solar-powered boats. This year, model solar-powered boats were on display for students and observers to explore their different designs and how they work.

The EnergyWhiz Olympics is coordinated by staff at the Florida Solar Energy Center, but it could not be a successful event without the time and effort of the volunteers involved. Event volunteers included engineers from NASA, the United Space Alliance (USA), Canaveral Council of Technical Societies, Northrop Grumman, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. Other volunteers included representatives from the University of Central Florida, Brevard Community College, Bright House Networks, the National Energy Foundation, and Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), 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.

**For photos from the event please visit http://media.fsec.ucf.edu/photos/2274-EnergyWhiz-Olympics-2008/index.html

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