People

Robin Vieira
Faculty Admin./Director
Buildings Research

(321) 638-1404
robin@fsec.ucf.edu

Education:

M.S., Applied Solar Energy
Trinity University, TX, 1983

Research Focus:

Mr. Vieira conducts research in green building technologies and green building standards. He helped found the Florida Green Building Coalition, served as the president for their organizing committee. He served as editor and committee chair for FGBC's Green Development Standard, a first of its kind environmental stewardship designation for land developments meeting objective criteria that far exceeds minimum code. He was one of two co-PIs creating a Green Local Government Designation for Florida City and County governments. Mr. Vieira participated in the development of FGBC green guidelines for homes and served on the United States Green Building Council LEED 1.0 committee developing a standard for commercial buildings. He managed research on 384 households, comparing transportation, electricity and water use among 10 Central Florida developments.

Mr. Vieira directed a million-dollar demand-side management research project including audits and analysis of 400 recently built homes. Key outcomes of the project included changes that were implemented in Florida's energy code and rating system. The analysis demonstrated a detriment to peak load and annual energy use from oversizing of HVAC equipment.

He has helped disseminate information through workshops and publications, co-authored the book, Energy-Efficient Florida Home Building. He has provided builder technical support via EPA Energy Star Homes and Department of Energy Building America program, and he has helped design, write and supervise the development of new energy analysis software for the home energy auditing and construction market (EnergyGauge).

Mr. Vieira also developed passive and mechanical cooling methods for off-shore equipment enclosures for the U.S. Navy and researched a new cooling concept using a radiative/desiccant roof system that provides cooling and dehumidification for the U.S. Department of Energy.