The alumni house received a makeover in 2020, re-engineered as a zero-energy facility. The new Folliard Alumni Center features a host of leading-edge renewable energy technologies and conference 
facilities.
Florida Tech alumni, faculty, and students have been involved in the project, from applying for the $282,000 Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Technologies (REET) Program grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Office of Energy to engineering plans, securing matching donations from several community partners, modeling the building materials and systems, all the way to predicting the energy performance during the design phase.
The grounds will be converted and maintained as a Lagoon Friendly Lawn. Lagoon Friendly Lawns use native plants that reduce water usage and run-off. These efforts help will help prevent algal blooms and fish kills by minimizing nutrient pollution and restoring ecosystem functions of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program.
The new Folliard Alumni Center serves as a model for a cost-effective, scalable, zero-energy commercial office building design in Florida climates, as well as providing continued research and development opportunities for Florida Tech and the community at large.
© Florida Institute of Technology.
