By investing in improved energy efficiency in buildings, we reduce our energy costs, conserve resources, reduce emissions, increase available capital, spur economic growth, all at the same time we improve working and living environments.

Sarasota County became a U.S. Department of Energy Rebuild America Partner in 1998. The Southeast Rebuild Collaborative, including the state energy offices of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina, provides energy efficiency support and motivates institutions to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For more information see:  http://www.southeastrebuild.org/

Sarasota County is also a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR Partner. EPA provides local government partners with free resources for energy management and tools to save energy and money. For information on becoming an ENERGY STAR Partner see: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=government.bus_government

A founding member of the City of Austin’s Plug-in Partners National Campaign, Sarasota County joined this national initiative to demonstrate to automakers that a market for flexible-fuel Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) exists today. For more information see: http://www.pluginpartners.org/

Sarasota County is committed to building green to conserve energy in numerous ways.

• Integrated design for low energy use - energy-efficient mechanical equipment, lighting, appliances, daylighting, renewable energy, etc. See U.S. Dept.of Energy Building Technologies Program for government facilities at
  http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/government/index.html
• Conserving water- it takes energy to pump, treat, and distribute water. Landscaping choices also affect water, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions. See EPA Web site for landscaping and air quality: http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/
• Recycled content materials- supplying recycled materials to industry (including collection, processing and transportation) use less energy than supplying virgin materials to industry (including extraction, refining, transportation and processing) and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. See EPA Web. http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/climate/change.htm

In 2006, Sarasota County was the first U.S. county to accept the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2030 Challenge to design our buildings to be carbon-neutral by 2030, using no fossil fuel energy to operate. For more information see Architecture 2030. 

Links we like:

Energy Efficiency

• The Whitehouse Energy Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/energy/
• US Council on Environmental Quality: http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/
• US Department of Energy (USDOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: http://www.eere.energy.gov/
• USDOE Energy Information Agency: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/energyconsumption.html
• USDOE Federal Energy Management Program: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/index.html
• USDOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: http://www.lbl.gov/
• USDOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory: http://www.nrel.gov/
• USDOE Oak Ridge National Laboratory: http://www.ornl.gov/

• Florida Energy Office: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/energy/

• National Association of Counties Energy Resources: http://www.naco.org/Template.cfmSection=Environment,_Energy_and_Land_Use
• National Association of State Energy Officials: http://www.naseo.org/

Climate Change

• EPA Climate Change: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
• Florida Climate Change: http://www.floridaclimatechange.com/
• Alliance to Save Energy: http://www.ase.org/
• Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator: http://www.usctcgateway.net/tool/
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: http://www.ipcc.ch/
• Mayors Climate Protection Center: http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/

Renewable Energy

• USDOE Solar Energy Technologies Program: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/about.html
• USDOE Wind Powering America: http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/index.asp
• EPA Clean Energy: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/stateandlocal/
• Florida Solar Energy Center: http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/
• Florida Solar Energy Industries Association: http://www.flaseia.org/
• American Solar Energy Society: http://www.ases.org/
• Database of Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency: http://www.dsireusa.org/

Transportation

• USDOE Alternative Fuels Data Center: http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/
• USDOE Clean Cities: http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/
• USDOE Hybrid Electric Vehicles: http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/hev/
• USDOE Vehicle Fuel Economy Guide: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/
• EPA Green Vehicle Guide: http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/
•  EPA Transportation Alternatives: http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/polltransportationalternatives.html
• EV World Sustainable Transportation: http://www.evworld.com/
• Green Car Congress Sustainable Mobility: http://www.greencarcongress.com/
• National Biodiesel Board: http://www.biodiesel.org/