The Florida Solar Energy Center's (FSEC) building science program was founded to research and develop building improvement strategies that reduce energy use, enhance the economy, and improve the environment; and to educate the public, students, industry and practitioners on results of our work.

The following list outlines the research projects being conducted by the Buildings Research Department. Explore each of the projects listed to see what areas we're investigating.

A list of buildings research publications can be seen here.

Building America Industrialized Housing Project (BAIHP) The partnership seeks to reduce the energy use of industrialized buildings by up to 50% in a cost effective manner while enhancing indoor air quality, durability and productivity.

Zero Energy Buildings These special buildings are designed to use zero net energy from the utility grid. The concept is simple — couple the maximum possible building energy efficiency with the best available renewable energy resources in a way that maximizes the effectiveness of both.

Fenestration Our windows and daylighting program has generated a wealth of information about windows and other fenestration systems as well as how they work.

Energy Efficient Schools This program performs a number of studies examining various technologies' potential to reduce energy use, cost, and improve the learning environment. Our task has been to objectively test and evaluate these technologies and present our results without bias.

Green Standards Green standards go beyond just energy efficiency and attempt to rate a building effort with regard to the total environmental stewardship of a project.

Gossamer Wind Series Ceiling Fans Developed at the Florida Solar Energy Center, the Gossamer Wind® series ceiling fans can provide significant energy savings. Compared to conventional ceiling fans, they consume approximately half the energy in operation, saving an estimated $20 per year in electricity costs.