Summer / Fall 2025

Celebrating 45 Years of Excellence: Philip Fairey Retires from FSEC

After four and a half decades of groundbreaking work in building science and energy efficiency, Philip Fairey, Deputy Director of the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), has officially retired. It is not an exaggeration to think that without Philip’s contribution there are hundreds of thousands of homes in the country that would be consuming more energy than they currently consume.

A Legacy Built on Innovation

Philip's journey began in 1980 when he launched FSEC's building science research program. Armed with degrees in Architecture and Urban Planning from Clemson University, he quickly became a driving force in the field, leading 30 major research contracts and earning recognition as a true pioneer. His impressive list of achievements includes:

• Two U.S. patents and authorship of four books plus over 80 technical articles

• National Award for Innovation in Research, U.S. Department of Energy (1984)

• University of Central Florida's highest research award (1987)

Transforming the Industry

Philip's influence extends far beyond research papers. His 1980s work on radiant barriers helped create an entire industry around reflective insulation. As a two-time president of RESNET and chair of ASHRAE Standard 90.2, he was instrumental in developing the energy rating standards now used nationwide by the International Code Council.

More recently, Philip developed groundbreaking methodology for calculating

CO₂e indexes, allowing homes to be compared for their greenhouse warming impact.

A Personal Touch

While his technical contributions are extraordinary, colleagues will remember Philip just as much for his leadership style and infectious laughter that brightened the FSEC workplace.

Looking Forward

As Philip embarks on his well-deserved retirement, his legacy lives on in every energy-efficient home built using the standards and innovations he helped create. The entire FSEC family wishes him all the best in this exciting new chapter.

Thank you, Philip, for 45 years of dedication that made our world more sustainable, one building at a time!

Notable Publications in
Philip Fairey’s Career

FSEC Researchers Win
Best Paper Award in Science and Technology for the Built Environment

Eric Martin, Charles Withers, Jr., Bereket A. Nigusse (not pictured) and Tanvir Khan (not pictured), received the BEST PAPER AWARD for “Estimating internal moisture generation rates in recently constructed, occupied homes in the southeastern United States.” The award is for the best paper published in the volume year of Science and Technology for the Built Environment, the ASHRAE research journal.

Researchers quantified the moisture created by everyday activities that household occupants do like breathing, cooking, showering, and cleaning. Data was collected in newer homes built since 2013 to see if estimates based on data collected in older homes were still accurate. This matters because indoor moisture levels affect everything from your heating and cooling bills to preventing mold and maintaining good indoor air quality and comfort.

Here's the catch: The current industry standards that builders and engineers use to design homes and home comfort systems are based on data from the 1980s and 1990s. With modern homes being built differently and modern equipment performing differently than decades ago, researchers wanted to know if those old guidelines still make sense.

The study focused on homes in the southeastern United States and used a combination of sophisticated monitoring and modeling techniques to track and predict moisture levels. Researchers even validated their methods using full-scale laboratory homes where they could control and measure exact moisture amounts.

Why this matters to you: The study found that the older estimates used for internal moisture according to a home’s number of bedrooms are still relevant. However, homes in this study were found to have fewer occupants per bedroom than what older estimates assume. For homes with a higher number of occupants, findings indicate that estimates for internal moisture used for design and code compliance purposes could be revised. This would help to ensure comfort, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality is achieved.  

This research was part of a larger U.S. Department of Energy Building America project examining indoor air quality in modern American homes. See the link to a recently published paper describing that project in the “Recent Publications” section of this newsletter.

Do you want to be one of the few testers of our PV-GEMS technology?

FSEC is looking for homeowners in Climate Zone 2a and 3a (see map below) to participate in our PV-GEMS Demonstration Project. Eligible homes would be part of our research to compare energy use before and after installation of our PV-GEMS solution.

What is this study about?

UCF’s FSEC is conducting a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to learn 1) how much heating, cooling, and water heating energy can be saved through the use of efficient heat pumps partially powered by solar, and 2) demonstrating how those systems can be delivered in a manner that minimizes disruption during installation by using a detached shed to house most of the equipment.

Are you interested in participating in our study? Learn more and find out if you meet the eligibility requirements.

WE STILL HAVE LIMITED AVAILABILITY

On July 17th, Jared Troyer of Duke Energy and the Florida High Tech Corridor's toured FSEC.  The visit started off with presentations from Dr. Yifan Wang "Optimal Design and Integration of Hydrogen Energy System with Solar and Peaker Plants" and Dr. Daniel Ramirez speaking for Dr. Matam "A Novel MAZE Connection Technique for Optimal Performance Floating Solar PV System."

Two FSEC studies from the 1990s highlight how to save energy with ceiling fans:

By Haoran Zhao, Eric Martin, Tanvir Khan, David Chasar, Jeffrey Sonne, Charles R. Withers Jr., Marion L. Russell, William W. Delp, Wanyu Rengie Chan, Iain S. Walker, Brett C. Singer

This study examines whole-house mechanical ventilation (WHMV) and indoor air quality (IAQ) in 51 single-family homes constructed since 2013 in the humid southeastern U.S. Homes were monitored for one or two weeks, operating with or without WHMV, or under both conditions (two-week homes, n = 11). Measurements included envelope and duct airtightness; mechanical ventilation airflows; time-resolved CO₂, PM2.5, formaldehyde, and radon; and time-integrated gravimetric PM2.5, NO₂, NOₓ, and formaldehyde. Participants reported on ventilation use, IAQ-related activities and perceptions. Major deficiencies were observed in WHMV installation, operation, and occupant awareness.

Oct 21-22   Florida Green Home Certification Training [Live Webinar]    

Nov 20 - 21  ENERGY STAR Multi-Family New Construction Training

Dec 2   Residential Building Air Leakage [Blower Door] Testing

Dec 3   Residential Building Duct Testing

Dec 3   Measurement & Verification of Continuous Whole-House Mechanical Ventilation Systems

Dec 4-5  Residential Energy Auditor

Dec 8-11   HERS Energy Rater

Jan 20  Commercial Energy Code and Green Building Modeling Using EnergyGauge Summit  

Jan 21   EnergyGauge Commercial Rater Training

Feb 10-11  ENERGY STAR Version 3.2 Training

FSEC Buildings Research offers a number of online and in-person training classes.

For more information, go to https://courses.energyresearch.ucf.edu/cert-path/

or contact us at

training@fsec.ucf.edu

FSEC offers a wide range of continuing education courses covering renewable energy and building energy technology topics. Most continuing education courses include both classroom instruction, and hands-on field experience. In many cases, attendees can receive continuing education units (CEUs) and some courses are approved for Florida professional license renewals.

Questions with regard to courses or certification pathways may be sent to training@fsec.ucf.edu