Research Interests:

William Young's primary emphasizes in applied research is the use of solar energy in disasters and the use of alternative fuels in transportation. Mr. Young works closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local emergency and disaster management organizations to promote the use of solar energy in response to a disaster. Also, he represents the U.S. Department of Energy as the local Clean Cities Coordinator to promote alternative fuel vehicle transportation technology acceptance and use in Central Florida. Upon joining FSEC in 1990 from General Electric, Mr. Young's initial efforts involved the testing and evaluation of stand-alone photovoltaic systems for residential buildings in the southeastern U.S. and traffic devices for the Florida Department of Transportation. He assisted Sandia National Laboratories, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the solar industry with development and testing of photovoltaic equipment and systems for supplying emergency power during utility outages after disasters. Following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Mr. Young's research expanded to include the application of solar energy in disaster response, recovery and mitigation. Based on this research, he developed four educational programs and conducted over 40 workshops to inform industry, government officials and the general public about the use of photovoltaics and other renewable energy source. His current focus is on the creation of sustainable, functional, disaster-resistant buildings using renewables. He has written over 30 publications on this topic. Young serves as Coordinator of Florida Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition for nine counties in East Central Florida. The Coalition promotes the use of alternative fuel vehicles for energy security and emission reduction. He also served for three years on the Florida Clean Fuels Advisory Board to the Governor. In his work in the area of alternative fuel vehicle technology, Young designed and constructed several hybrid electric vehicles and served as a technical advisor for student design projects. He conducted research for the U.S. Department of Defense on proof of concept and performance of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Young created the SunDay Challenge, an educational alternative energy vehicle rally event held for several years in succession during the 1990s. Through a National Science Foundation grant, he has developed a 3-credit hour web-based course on alternative fuel and electric vehicles.