ORLANDO, FLA.—Florida solidified its position as a front-runner in sustainability late last month with the unveiling of the Orange County Convention Center’s new one-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) system, the largest rooftop solar installation in the Southeast. Solar panels span the length of five and a half football fields, generating 1,300 megawatt-hours of electricity per year—greatly reducing the center’s carbon footprint and electricity costs.
The new PV system was made possible by a $2,500,000 grant provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Renewable Technologies Grant. Additional support for the project was provided by the OUC, EDC and U.S. Dept. of Energy, bringing the total amount of funding to $8.8 million.
Mayor Richard T. Crotty of Orange County and City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer along with Senator Lee Constantine convened with hundreds of community and business leaders to “flip the switch” on the new system.
The unveiling kicked off the Green Cities Florida Conference, a two-day event providing fresh, innovative and useful information to businesses, communities and governments interested in embarking on the road to sustainability or improving their current efforts. The Green Cities Florida Conference aimed to empower decision-makers to understand the full range of options available to protect the environment, save money and enrich their communities through sustainable practices.
Participants were invited to follow any of seven specialized tracks, including Growing Florida’s Green Economy, Greening Your Business A-Z, Greening Government, Green Cities: Planning, Design and Construction, Understanding & Responding to Climate Change, Wise Business Choices in a Changing Economy, and Green Hospitality, Events and Facilities. Green Cities Florida attendees also were offered social and professional networking opportunities throughout the conference, in addition to green training courses.
Go to the Orange County Convention Center.
