Green Neighborhood Program In 2010, OUC partnered with the City of
of high energy consumption, thanks to
Orlando on the Green Neighborhood Program,
funding from OUC and the federal stimulus
a weatherization fix-up program that targeted
funds the City received in the form of an Energy
homes in some of the City’s least energy-efficient
Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG).
neighborhoods. Based on historical consumption
Participants in the Green Neighborhood Program
data from OUC, the City developed an energy
received an energy and water audit from OUC
intensity map to identify the neighborhoods with
followed by a complimentary package of electric
the highest energy consumption per square foot.
and water conservation measures valued up
The Green Neighborhood Program was
to $1,000.
In 2010, the Green Neighborhood Program: Implemented more than $700,000 in conservation measures for a total annual energy savings of more than 1.3 million kWh in more than 1,000 homes in the City of Orlando.
provided free to neighborhoods with a history
New Power Partnerships: OUC Sells Electricity to Vero Beach and Bartow Power plants take years to permit and construct and are built with growth in mind. Utilities forecast their generation requirements and supplement
OUC Partners on Largest Solar Rooftop Array in Southeast at the Orange County Convention Center In May 2009, OUC joined Orange County to
In addition to the grant, OUC contributed
flip the switch on the largest rooftop solar PV
$1.5 million to the project and would receive
system in the Southeast United States. The 1-MW
10 years worth of Renewable Energy Credits.
array atop the Orange County Convention Center
of power over a definite period of time as the
future energy requirements above the City’s
utility grows into its load requirements.
current resource level.
On January 1, 2010, OUC became the exclusive
Also in 2010, OUC and the City of Bartow
their electricity needs by selling blocks of
power provider for the City of Vero Beach —
signed a seven-year power purchase agreement.
generation to other municipalities or utilities
providing about 100 MW of electricity to the
OUC would provide wholesale power to the City
through power purchase agreements. Such power
beachfront community for a period of 20 years.
beginning January 1, 2011; Bartow would then
partnerships with other municipalities have been an
The agreement made OUC Vero Beach’s exclusive
distribute it through its existing infrastructure
effective way for OUC to contract large increments
power provider and power marketer, supplying
to about 11,000 customers.
The PV system, which utilizes high-efficiency,
was the result of a partnership between OUC and
flat-plate collectors, covered about 200,000
Orange County that was awarded a $2.5 million
square feet of the Convention Center’s
grant from the State of Florida to install the
North/South building and would generate
landmark project. DOE named the installation
1,300 to 1,500 MWH of electricity per year —
a Solar America Showcase.
the equivalent amount of power used by 80 to
OUR COMMITMENT TO FUTURE GENERATIONS
In 2010, OUC added a 31-kW solar array atop the Dr. Phillips Cinedome at the Orlando Science Center.
100 typical homes. And no greenhouse gas emissions would be produced in the process.
A Solar City in the Sunshine State OUC’s efforts to ready Central Florida for a renewable future were rewarded in 2008 as its hometown was designated a “Solar America City” by the U.S. Department of Energy. The ongoing green partnership between OUC, the City of Orlando and Orange County received $450,000 in funding and technical expertise to help develop solar projects in the community that could be replicated across the country. The previous year, OUC had launched solar photovoltaic and solar thermal programs that helped customers eliminate the upfront costs of solar. The program included a partnership with the Orlando Federal Credit Union to provide no- or low-interest loans to homeowners. Page 62
At the close of the first decade of the new millennium, OUC remained committed to building upon the strong foundation it had established over the past 87 years. Through it all, one thing has been constant — the employees of OUC continue to provide the highest level of reliability at affordable rates while acting as good stewards of the environment.
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