Looking for a way to go green and save more money?  Check out Orange County's solar incentive program for residential and commercial properties.

Thanks to our Solar Workshop partners!  View the presentations given at the workshops and the sponsors who made it all possible. 

Visit the Orange County Environmental Protection Division's (EPD) page. 

• Upcoming events  
• EnviroFlash - and other air quality info
• Citizen and community involvement
• Permit and ordinance information
• ...and much more!

Current ROCC as a Brownfield Projects

• Innovation Way
  • Public Hearing Presentation (PDF - 1.6MB) • July 31, 2008
  • Proposed Resolution (MS Word - 47KB) • brought to the Board of County Commissioners on September 16, 2008

• Orlando Commerce Park
  • Public Hearing Presentation (PDF - 779KB) • October 21, 2008
  • Updated Draft Resolution (PDF - 110KB)

Find out more about Brownfields by visiting the following external sites:

• Orange County's Brownfield Redevelopment Program
• FDEP - Brownfields Redevelopment Program
• US EPA - Brownfields and Land Revitalization
• Florida Brownfields Association
• Smart Growth Network - Florida Brownfields Redevelopment

The American Public Transportation Association offers an on-line Transit Savings Calculator to compare the price of using public transportation with the price of paying at the pump and then parking your car in town.

Other transportation links:

External Sites

• LYNX - includes schedules, a trip planner, a savings calculator, share-a-ride info, and more! 
• Central Florida Commuter Rail
  • brochure
• Commuter Services
• Drive GREENER
• Florida 511
• Florida Department of Transportation

Visit the beautiful Florida Friendly Landscaping Demonstration Garden (PDF - 190KB) at 201 S Rosalind Avenue (corner of Rosalind Avenue & Jackson Street) in downtown Orlando • Take a look back at the Garden's beginnings (PDF - 132 KB).

For Florida Friendly Landscaping (External Site) information and classes, contact the Orange County Cooperative Extension at 407-254-9200 or visit ocextension.ifas.ufl.edu (External Site) • 6021 S. Conway Road, Orlando 

Do your part to protect Florida's fabulous & threatened wildflowers (Word - 52KB).

Free landscape tree giveaways through Orange County's Streetscape Adopt A Tree (MS Word - 104 KB) program. 

Saving our water resources is critically important and requires everyone's participation.  Discover ways you can conserve water.

External Sites 

• Orange County's Water Conservation page
• FDEP  
• St. John's River Water Management District • SJRWMD
• Florida Water Star • SJRWMD
• South FL Water Management District • SFWMD
• US EPA WaterSense

Energy Audits are widely available and can be done in person or on-line.

Orange County Mayor Richard T. Crotty invited WESH TV (PDF - 142KB) into his home to help inform homeowners of a free service that can help them save money. "There's my role as mayor to highlight the issue and my role as a citizen to try to do the right thing," he said.

Setting a personal example for others to follow by having an energy check at his home, Mayor Crotty encourages residents to follow his lead.

External Sites 

• Energy Star  
• FDEP  
• US Department of Energy  
• Earth911.org

The choices you make every day can save energy and improve the environment.  Visit the U.S. Department of Energy Make Every Day Earth Day site for tips to save money and protect the environment.  (text only version) (External Sites)

Learn more about what you can do (PDF - 89KB) to make Orange County Green.  Here's a few home improvement ideas to get you started:

• Lighting (external site) is one of the fastest ways to cut your energy bills. Electric lighting and fixtures, such as ceiling fans, controlled by motion sensors can help to ensure that energy is not wasted in unoccupied spaces.
• Energy efficient windows (external site) can lower energy consumption and reduce heat transmission.
• Switch to Energy efficient appliance (external site). Recycle (external site) or properly dispose of old models.

Refrigerator and freezer habits:

• Keep the freezer full (add bottles of water, if necessary)
• Cover wet food and liquids
• Lower the freezer and raise the fridge settings
• Develop quick in and out habits instead of browsing
• Clean the coils
• Replace older freezers and refrigerators with new energy efficient (External Site) models. New refrigerators consume 75% less energy than those produced in the late 1970s.
• Obtain a Free Energy Audit

Polar Bear on Thin Ice photo from Oceana: Protecting the World's Oceans (External Site)

On September 25, 2007, Orange County hosted its first-ever Climate Change Summit. Both the Summit and Mayor Crotty's Climate Change Plan (Word - 180 KB) mark the beginning of a strategy to place Orange County in the forefront of the world-wide movement to reduce green house gases.

• Summit Agenda & Presentations
• Summit Summary (PDF - 45KB)
• Climate Change Implementation Plan, 02-18-2008 (PDF - 107KB)
• Orange to Green Presentation, 02-18-2008 (PDF - 3.61MB)

• Building Green In Orange County

• Orange to Green: What You Can Do • OrlandoSentinel.com • September 25, 2007 (PDF - 89KB) 

• Mayor Proclaims November 15th as Orange County Recycles Day • November 11, 2008
• Mayor Crotty Launches CleanTech Economic Development Initiatives • October 23, 2008
• New Blue Ribbon Program Saves Water and Money • September 22, 2008
• Go Solar to Save Money and Energy - Orange County will Help! • September 17, 2008
• Utilities Water Division Presents A Free Florida Friendly Neighborhoods Workshop • September 17, 2008
• Orange County Green PLACE Hosts Workday in Honor of National Public Lands Day • August 26, 2008 
• Mayor Crotty Fuels-up at the County's New Ethanol Station • June 11, 2008 
• Orange County Celebrates May as Clean Air Month • April 29, 2008
• City, Orange County, OUC to Receive $200,000 Grant to Advance Solar Energy • April 23, 2008 
• County goes Green and is the First to Get the Gold • April 22, 2008
• Orange County Celebrates Arbor Day • April 22, 2008
• Orange to Green becomes $Green to Green$ • February 18, 2008
• Mayor Crotty Announces Major Solar Project • January 31, 2008
• Environmentally Friendly Demonstration Garden Installed • November 21, 2007

Archives

Governor Charlie Crist made history of sorts Friday when he became the first Florida governor to visit Maitland city hall on official business, at least according to Maitland Mayor Doug Kinson's introduction of the governor. Crist met with Kinson, Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty and community leaders...(full story - PDF 35 KB).  Enlarge picture (JPG - 353 KB)

See FDEP's story (External Site)