Association of Energy Services Professionals’ FLEX Program

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the Association of Energy Services Professionals funding to build online, interactive education on grid-interactive, demand-flexible energy technologies for energy efficiency and demand management professionals. AESP’s program, FLEX, provides a series of free online courses on the latest demand flexibility knowledge. FSEC partnered with AESP to help develop context and promote the courses to Florida’s energy professionals. FLEX will teach current workforce participants what they need to know to be ready to implement tomorrow’s clean, flexible grid.

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC)

The Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC) team, formerly known as the Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership (BAIHP), is a university-based Building America team competitively selected for funding by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency. BA-PIRC is an industry-driven, cost-shared research program. Its goal is to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced building energy technologies and practices in new and existing homes. BA-PIRC works closely with industry and utility partners throughout the United States to develop innovative, real-world solutions that achieve significant energy and cost savings for homeowners, builders, and remodelers.

Drive Electric Florida – Drive Electric USA

Drive Electric Florida (DEFL) is an organization of stakeholders working to advance the growth of electric vehicle ownership and its related infrastructure. By engaging with the public, businesses, and decision-makers, DEFL promotes EV-friendly policies and programs. FSEC is a founding member. Drive Electric USA was established to further advance the development of state-based Drive Electric programs. FSEC leads Florida’s contribution to DE USA and shares success stories highlighting Florida’s journey into fleet electrification. Learn More: Drive Electric Florida – Drive Electric USA

EMPOWER Workplace Charging

The EMPOWER Workplace Charging outreach and education program is a key step in addressing the adoption of EVs throughout the Central Florida region. The goal is to provide encouragement and technical assistance to organizations for the installation of electric vehicle charging for their employees. Learn More: EMPOWER Workplace Charging

EnergyGauge Software

EnergyGauge is a family of user-friendly software tools that allow simple, yet detailed performance-based analysis of building energy use. It also performs economic analysis of proposed energy improvements. EnergyGauge is a partner in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ENERGY STAR® Homes program, and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building America program. EnergyGauge is also an active member of RESNET and the national rating industry association. EnergyGauge is a UCF Success Story. Learn More: EnergyGauge: A UCF Success Story.

Florida Solar Energy Apprenticeship Program

The Florida Solar Energy Apprenticeship Program is a workforce and development program developed by the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FlaSEIA) and FSEC® to ensure that Florida continues to produce well-trained, highly-qualified solar energy technicians. The apprenticeship provides a pathway to state certification as a Florida solar contractor, which allows installation of both solar electric (photovoltaics) and thermal systems (water heating and pool heating). Individuals who desire to participate in the program must first be employed by a participating company. Learn More: Florida Solar Energy Apprenticeship Program.

Regional Test Centers

The PV Regional Test Centers help to validate photovoltaic (PV) technologies in a range of different climates. The Florida Regional Test Center (FL RTC) is one of five PV test sites in the U.S. UCF’s FSEC® operates the the center under the technical oversight of Sandia National Laboratories. Located on the campus of UCF, the FL RTC provides the physical and technical infrastructure needed to conduct validation testing for large-scale PV systems in a hot, humid climate. This testing data will help banks, insurance companies, and other stakeholders establish the confidence that new solar systems perform reliably in the field. The site can accommodate approximately 250kW of solar, with systems ranging in size from 10 to more than 100kW. In the event more capacity is needed, however, UCF has another site that can host ≤2 MW of power production.

SunSmart E-Shelter Schools

The SunSmart E-Shelter Schools program has installed more than 100 solar systems in more than 46 Florida school districts. For that reason, it has added more than one MW of combined photovoltaic generating capacity to Florida. In addition, the program’s education and outreach efforts have provided more than 350 teachers with professional development in science and the use of solar. A companion, inquiry-based curriculum rich in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) content encourages best-teaching practices. Through project-based learning, it enables students to solve problems using critical thinking and data analysis.

The success of this project is largely due to the strong partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, the State of Florida, the University of Central Florida, the Florida solar industry, and utilities. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services originally funded this program through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). It includes additional funding from private and public utilities.

LEGACY PROGRAMS

FSEC^® programs continually change depending upon funding. Following is a link to a list of programs that FSEC either led or was an active participant.

The list (with descriptions) of legacy programs includes:

Central Florida Clean Cities Coalition
Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC)
Foundations for Engineering Education for Distributed Energy Resources (FEEDER)
Go SOLAR Florida
Solar Ready Vets®
Solar Training Network