The center has already trained more than 20,000 people in Florida to install solar energy systems and to improve the energy efficiency of Florida’s buildings along with a host of other energy efficient technologies.

“When the Florida Legislature created FSEC in 1974, one of the specific tasks we were given was to develop a program to provide solar-energy technical knowledge at both the working applications level and at the higher management level,â€� said James Fenton, the director of the center. “It was a wise investment, which helped establish Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ as a leader in training and research in this area.â€�

Over the years those programs have evolved to include energy-efficiency, sustainability and building science. The primary audiences for these programs are skilled trades, energy professionals and educators. FSEC’s faculty research can also be felt by taxpayers and homeowners alike.

For example, FSEC’s buildings research has helped save state residents more than $2.5 billion in energy costs since 1975. Solar research has led to more than 300,000 solar energy systems installed in the state – saving homeowners $40 million annually. FSEC’s outreach to classroom teachers is also helping inspire the next generation of energy scientists and engineers.

And the most direct impact – people are getting jobs.

David Bessette, president of Energy Technology Services in Orlando, has 30 employees who were trained in solar installation through FSEC programs.

“It is my belief that the training at FSEC has well prepared the people that I eventually hired as they came out with a much better understanding of what is required of entry-level installers,� Bessette said.

A particular challenge for the solar installation industry is the lack of good training programs, likely because it is a “specialty trade� requiring knowledge of roofing, mechanical and electrical skills, he said. “FSEC has always stressed ‘paying attention to detail’ in their programs and it shows in the quality of their product.�

A CBS News recently highlighted the growth in alternative energy industry jobs. The news report cited the Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census of 2016, which showed Florida as one of the top five states in the country where solar jobs are growing the fastest.

The Solar Foundation operates the Solar Training Network (STN), a US Department of Energy funded program that helps meet the workforce needs of the solar industry through solar training and strategic employment partnerships. FSEC is a subcontractor to the Solar Foundation as well as a training provider member of the Network.

FSEC’s training catalog includes courses on Photovoltaic System Design and Installation, Weatherization, Home Energy Rating, Residential Building Leakage, Energy Code Compliance, Green Building Certification, and Teacher In-Service Training. In addition, several courses are available online. Many of these courses offer industry recognized credentials and certifications. FSEC partners with local workforce boards to assist job seekers in obtaining needed skills for new or upgraded employment opportunities.

FSEC in partnership with the national labs and industry leads research programs in energy and transportation: energy efficient homes, photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing, PV testing in hot, humid conditions, programs to decease the soft-costs of PV installation, energy storage, alternative fuels and electric vehicle transportation.

“It is this collaborative research that allows FSEC to anticipate future energy needs, solve real problems and keeps our training programs on the cutting edge,� Fenton said.

The Electric Vehicle Transportation Center operated by Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½’s Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa is a newly funded, four-year, $9 million research effort to help develop the nation’s electric-vehicle transportation network. Research conducted by the center will help transportation planners prepare our nation’s highways for the influx of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV), while developing “smart gridâ€� applications that will strengthen the ability of our electric system to accommodate the power demands of electric vehicles.

PEVs need a reliable, predictable network of charging stations to allow them to travel long distances without the fear of “running out of fuel.� Workplace charging, community charging, and highway fast-charging systems are in development. A new PEV transportation network designed in conjunction with the modernization of our electric grid system will result in a sustainable highway and energy network.

“Today, electric vehicles—using Florida utility power—operate at an equivalent gasoline price of 99 cents a gallon,� said FSEC director James Fenton. “With fuel costs that low, it’s no surprise projections indicate that Florida will have as many as 500,000 electric vehicles on its roads within 10 years, placing an unprecedented demand on today’s utility grid.�

Plug-in electric vehicle sales in the U.S., led by the Volt, Leaf and plug-in Prius, were 50,000 in 2012. The upward trend in sales is expected to continue during the next several years as automakers introduce up to 40 different plug-in models.

Transformation of the U.S transportation system into one that uses electricity and its integration into a dynamic electrical grid will occur over many years and require extensive research and development.

The new Electric Vehicle Transportation Center will leverage the resources of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and its partner universities – the University of Hawaii and Tuskegee University – to conduct the research and development, and to train and support the scientists, engineers and technicians of the future.

The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s EVTC is among 33 universities funded to address critical transportation challenges facing the nation. To view a map of the selected universities, go to: http://www.rita.dot.gov/utc/sites/rita.dot.gov.utc/wp-content/blogs.dir/20/files/Consortiums_2014.pdf

For more information, contact the EVTC program director David Block at block@fsec.ucf.edu or 321-638-1001.

FSEC is a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ research institute that brings together researchers in alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel and fuel cells, energy-efficient buildings and solar energy.

At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, a number of sustainable energy initiatives are taking place. They include a recent national competition aimed at having buildings reduce their energy use, in which Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ earned high marks for reducing energy consumption by 31 percent in Parking Garage C. The Environmental Protection Agency sponsors the contest every year.

Construction is continuing on Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s new $10.2 million natural gas plant. The new plant will run on a 30-foot-long Mitsubishi engine powered by natural gas, and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ will save about $2.5 million a year in fuel costs. Energy produced by the natural gas will reduce Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s environmental impact by 30 percent.