Research Associate
Buildings Research
(321) 638-1405
dparker@fsec.ucf.edu
Education:
M.S., Environmental ScienceUniversity of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 1983
Research Focus:
Mr. Parker specializes in collecting and analyzing measured data taken from residential and commercial buildings to determine how results may be applied to reducing energy needs. Over the last 16 years, he has studied technologies to improve energy efficiency in Florida's buildings. He has extensive experience with building energy and field monitoring.
Mr. Parker has spent the last 25 years of his career in the field of energy-efficiency research. He has been involved in a number of field projects in residential and commercial buildings and is expert in building energy measurement and monitoring.
Much of Mr. Parker's research over the last several years has been specifically related to research in highly efficiency buildings and potential impacts when mated with renewable energy resources. He also has extensive experience with large-scale utility monitoring projects and evaluation of load control options. He holds several patents associated with innovative energy efficiency technologies.
Over the last decade, Mr. Parker's residential research includes the following: impact of white roofing on residential cooling energy use, impact of utility load control on appliance demand profiles in large-scale monitoring, impact of attic radiant barrier and attic ventilation performance, evaluation of the impact of programmable thermostats, whole house fan impact on thermal comfort, evaluation of residential AC sizing methods, photovoltaics and solar energy sources as optimized for buildings, potential of energy efficient lighting in residences, impact of reduced evaporator air flow on AC performance, development of a zero energy home where cooling was reduced by 84% and development of a low-energy high performance ceiling fan.