ENERGY STAR ® Buildings
Did you know that a building or manufacturing plant can earn the ENERGY STAR label just like your refrigerator? An ENERGY STAR-qualified facility meets strict energy performance standards set by EPA, and uses less energy, is less expensive to operate, and causes fewer greenhouse gas emissions than its peers.

To qualify for ENERGY STAR, a building or manufacturing plant must score in the top 25 percent of EPA's National Energy Performance Rating System. To determine the performance of a facility, EPA compares energy use among other similar types of facilities on a scale of 1-100 (taking into consideration operating conditions and regional weather data). Buildings that score 75 or higher may be eligible for ENERGY STAR.

Source:ENERGY STAR ®. [9/23/2009]. US Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Energy.

Florida Green Building Coalition Certified ProjectsThe Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) is a nonprofit Florida corporation dedicated to improving the built environment. Its mission is "to provide a statewide green building program that defines, promotes, and encourages sustainable efforts with environmental and economic benefits." FGBC has developed green building certification standards that guide designers, builders, homeowners and local governments in creating buildings that are more sustainable, affordable to operate and healthy to live in. The certification criteria addresses energy, water, lot choice, site, health, materials and disaster mitigation. Seeking FGBC certification demonstrates your commitment to providing products or services that are green and environmentally friendly. Certification exists for home, commercial buildings, high-rise residential projects, land developments and local governments.  Learn more about the Florida Green Building Coalition.

LEED Certified Buildings
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) designation is an internationally recognized green building certification that independently verifies that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Learn more about LEED and USGBC.

Solar Installations
Solar is the Latin word for sun—a powerful source of energy that can be used to heat, cool, and light our homes and businesses. More energy from the sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year.

A variety of solar technologies convert sunlight to usable energy, strengthening our energy security, benefiting the environment, creating jobs locally, and helping improve our economy. The most commonly used solar technologies for buildings are solar thermal for water heating and solar photovoltaic for electricity. Both of these solar strategies can be either incorporated into new construction or added to existing homes, schools, and businesses.

Solar heating for swimming pools is also available. The local solar installations indicated on this map represent applicants of the Florida Solar Rebate program, as provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

If you have a solar installation that you would like pictured on the Green Map, submit it via the Suggestion Box.

For more information on solar technologies see the Florida Solar Energy Center and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

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