IESES News, Fall 2008.

The steering committee for FSU's Institute for Energy Systems, Economics, and Sustainability (IESES) has approved the request to assist in the final construction of the Off-Grid Zero Emissions Building (OGZEB) located on the FSU main campus. According to Justin Kramer, a representative for the Sustainable Energy Science and Engineering Center, the OGZEB project is designed to illustrate the possibilities of green housing. "The project is intended to educate the community about options in sustainability along with developing future technologies that will allow us to reduce energy consumption and the environmental impacts of buildings."

With a construction budget of $575,000 the OGZEB will include several special features to attain its green quality. The house is completely powered by the sun and implements high efficiency lighting, water saving fixtures and environmentally friend materials. Local professionals and FSU researchers have worked together to find a balance between cutting edge technologies and a livable home. A breakdown for the complete energy system can be found at http://sesec.fsu.edu/ogzeb.html.

OGZEB will serve as both living and working environments for graduate students and researchers. Each system in the house will be monitored daily in order to determine its efficiency and cost-benefit ratio. "We will know where every kilowatt hour of energy is used or lost," Justin said. Today the project is 75% complete with the walls up, the exterior close to completion and the plumbing and electrical have been roughed in. With an expected operational date of October 2008, the OGZEB will host two faculty in offices and two students in a graduate style flat.