New York Times buzzing over UCF invention

A feature in the June 15 edition of the New York Times heralded the Midway Eco fan, developed by Florida Solar Energy Center researcher Danny Parker,as having “earned its wings.”

Parker is quoted throughout the article, which takes a light-hearted look at so-called air conditioning heretics – the 1 or 2 percent of the population that chooses to forego the comforts of electrically derived chilled air.

Parker’s fan, originally called the Gossamer Wind and sold in Home Depot stores, is unique in that its blades are modeled after airline propellers.

Emerson now sells the fan through online distributors as well as at Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Since the fan was first licensed from UCF in 1999, 1.6 million have been sold, making it the most successful commercial product developed at UCF.

Read more here.