Florida State U. Will Build a Plant to Provide Renewable Power to Nearby Development

An energy-research center at Florida State University plans to work with a local green-housing development to build a renewable-power plant that will provide enough energy for the development and then some, according to an article in the Orlando Sentinel.

FSU’s Energy & Sustainability Center struck a deal with Jim Lark, who is the founder of the 475-home development called Harmony. “The university plans to build a 5-megawatt power plant that uses solar thermal energy combined with the gas created by burning biomass, or organic matter,” the story says. “That’s enough to power an average of 2,000 homes. Construction is set to start in the fall and is expected to be completed in 18 months.”

“The plant won’t use conventional solar panels, which capture the sun’s
ultraviolet rays and convert them into electricity,” the story says. “Instead, it uses thermal aluminum panels that capture and store heat. The intent is to lower energy-production costs by using off-the-shelf aluminum sheets.”

The partnership will be part of a program in researching renewable energy that may attract corporate partners.