Green Works
Government
In 2007, Mayor Dyer
launched Green Works Orlando, an initiative to propel Orlando to the
forefront of environmentally sustainable communities.
Green Works focuses
on five pillars:
Sustainable Transportation
Sustainable Infrastructure
Clean Energy and Green Buildings
Green Space and Smart Growth
Education and Advocacy
Weve led by example
by transitioning to greener city vehicles, expanding solar opportunities
and helping eight downtown buildings reach for LEED certification.
The next phase of
Green Works Orlando will expand on our successes by helping families and
businesses reduce their power and water consumption, while putting
people to work doing those retrofits. We are fostering an economy where
business and job opportunities are built around preserving the
environment and reducing energy consumption.
Green Investment = Smarter Government
The
Citys goal is to reach $5 million in annual utility savings by 2015 and
become greenhouse gas neutral by 2030 resulting in annual energy
savings of over $13 million.
Through Green Works Orlando, has implemented environmentally-friendly
strategies to save money:
$200,000 in annual energy savings
LEED certified City buildings generate utility savings of more than $822,000
LED traffic lights reduce energy
costs by $350,000 a year.
Switching to Bahia grass reduces
irrigation and mowing costs by $350,000
Landscaping and irrigation
improvements within the Parks Dept save $150,000
The
green roof on top of the new Fire Station #1 eliminated the need for an
additional stormwater drain-field, resulting in estimated construction
savings of $300,000.
These types of investments allow the City to use money for other
critical services that would otherwise go toward paying utility bills.
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