Property Managers

• Make green by going green!  Various options are available to help reduce energy consumption in your buildings at little or no cost.  Improving energy efficiency will lower costs for both you and your tenants, and help give your properties a competitive advantage in the Central Florida real estate market.

Why?  Buildings in the U.S. use about $200 billion worth of electricity and natural gas each year and are responsible for 45% of our national greenhouse gas emissions.  These buildings use energy at peak times, driving the need for new power generation and more natural gas consumption.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that if the energy efficiency of commercial and industrial buildings in the U.S. improved by 10%, Americans would save about $20 billion and reduce green house gases equal to the emissions from almost 30 million vehicles.

• How to get started lowering energy use in your buildings at no- or low-cost:
  • Sign up:  Take the Kilowatt Crackdown Challenge
  • Benchmark:  Use the EPA Energy Star Portfolio Manager (external site) to assist tracking energy consumption at your properties.  Portfolio Manager compares your buildings to similar building-types to provide an EPA score.
    • Educate:  Start training with Portfolio Manager.  Local training sessions will be held.
    • Manage:  Seven easy steps for successful energy management (external site)
    • Other Resources:  Energy Star, Green Works Orlando, U.S. Department of Energy (external sites)
  • Energy Audits:  An energy audit  from your utility will provide suggested changes to equipment and management practices.
    • OUC (external site)
    • Progress Energy (external site)
  • Incentives (external site)
  • Make A Statement:  The easiest way to save money is simply to turn off the lights when not is use.  Commit to flipping the switch at night with the City and County's commitment to the Earth Hour Campaign.

Home Owners

• Get a free Energy Audit from your utility company 
• Residential Incentives (external site)
• EPA Green Homes (external site) - Home owners, buyers and renters have a new resource for going green indoors and outdoors. EPA's new Green Homes Web site will help people make their homes greener with tips on reducing energy consumption, carbon footprints, waste generation and water usage, as well as improving indoor air quality.