James Fenton, director of the Florida Solar Energy Center, was one of several experts to participate in a roundtable discussion on renewable energy policies in Florida with WMFE-FM radio host Mark Simpson. Simpson’s show “Intersection” airs this week.
FSEC is a University of Central Florida research institute that brings together researchers in alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel and fuel cells, energy-efficient buildings and solar energy.
At UCF, 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 UCF 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 UCF’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 UCF will save about $2.5 million a year in fuel costs. Energy produced by the natural gas will reduce UCF’s environmental impact by 30 percent.