Orlando
City Scorecard Rank
15
Orlando, FL
51.50Scored out of 100Updated 5/2017
Local Government Score:
7.5 out of 9 points
Local Government Climate and Energy Goals List All
The City of Orlando releases annual progress reports to its Municipal Operations Sustainability Plan.
Climate Mitigation Goal
The Municipal Operations Sustainability Plan established a goal for the Orlando city government to be greenhouse gas-neutral by 2030. To meet this goal, the city must reduce per capita emissions by 5% annually. Orlando is on track to meet this goal.
Energy Reduction Goal
The Plan includes a goal to reduce municipal energy consumption 50% below 2010 levels by 2030.
Renewable Energy Goal
The Plan also includes a goal to use renewable energy to power 100% of municipal operations by 2030.
Last updated: June 2019
Procurement and Construction List All
Fleet Policies and Composition
As part of the Energy Secure Cities Coalition (ESCC), the City of Orlando has made a commitment to transition 100% of city fleet vehicles to alternative fuels by 2030. Since 2013, the city has worked to increase the percentage of fleet vehicles with some form of alternative fuel, including an all-electric city motor pool at City Hall and electric motorcycles for the Orlando Police Department. By 2020, we will have purchased 220 of electric vehicles, 5.5% of total city fleet converted to EVs. By 2025, this will increase to 440 EVs or 11.5% of fleet total. We also have the goal to convert 10% of buses to electric by 2020. Additionally, the 10-acre fleet and facilities compound where these vehicles are serviced will be net-zero by 2019 vehicles are serviced will be net-zero by 2019.
Currently, Orlando’s fleet is composed of 7.2% efficient vehicles, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles.
Public Lighting
Orlando passed a lighting ordinance in 2014 for public outdoor lighting. As an alternative to the development standard, lighting that conforms to the Joint International Dark-Sky Association and Illuminating Engineering Society Model Lighting Ordinance is also acceptable. Orlando has also installed over 20,000 LED streetlight in the city in collaboration with the utility, Orlando Utilities Commission. There are no formal efficiency-driven lighting replacement programs in this city, however some lighting replacements are being prioritized as part of its 7-year payback period equipment upgrading policy.
Green Building Requirements
Through Orlando’s Municipal Operations Sustainability Plan, all new municipal buildings must achieve LEED Gold certification.
Last updated: June 2019
Asset Management List All
Building Benchmarking and Retrofitting
The Building Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy requires municipal buildings 10,000 sq. feet and up to benchmark energy usage, this information was made public on September 1, 2018. The City of Orlando has brought their buildings online through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and Lucid BuildingOS to achieve greater visibility over their portfolio. This enables the City team to better benchmark and manage their facilities and turn what used to be speculative guesswork into data-driven decisions about energy improvements and building management. Since 2010, the City of Orlando has conducted ASHRAE Level II audits and retro-commissioning of all City facilities and identified more than 55 buildings as a priority for retrofits, based on a seven-year ROI. Utilizing a revolving energy loan fund established from a municipal bond, the City is pursuing these improvements by investing $17.5M in these facilities. Currently, those investments are tracking at $1.1M in savings and an average 31% reduction in energy use from the baseline in 2010.
Public Workforce Commuting
We did not find information on a policy aimed at reducing commutes of city employees, such as flexible schedules or telework.
Last updated: June 2019
Community-Wide Initiatives
Score: 10.5 out of 16 points
Community-Wide Summary List All
The City of Orlando’s Community Sustainability Action Plan outlines the city’s sustainability agenda.
Last updated: June 2019
Community-Wide Climate Mitigation and Energy GoalsList All
Climate Mitigation Goal
The Community Sustainability Action Plan establishes a greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 90% below 2007 levels by 2040. ACEEE does not project the city will meet its community-wide GHG emissions reduction goal.
Energy Reduction Goal
Orlando plans to achieve a community-wide energy reduction of 25% below 2010 levels by 2040, as stated in the Community Sustainability Action Plan.
Renewable Energy Goal
Orlando plans to generate 100% of it community-wide electricity by 2050, as stated in the Community Sustainability Action Plan.
Energy Data Reporting
OUC’s annual and financial reports include community-wide energy data.
Last updated: June 2019
Equity-Driven Approaches to Clean Energy Planning, Implementation, and EvaluationList All
Equity-Driven Community Engagement
While developing the Parramore Comprehensive Plan, the city conducted public meetings in Parramore, a historically black community, where residents were able to speak, provide comments, vote, and engage with community leaders
Equity-Driven Decision-Making
We were unable to determine if the city has created a formal role for marginalized community residents or local organizations representing those communities to participate in decision-making that affects the creation or implementation of a local energy, sustainability, or climate action plan.
Accountability to Equity
The Parramore Comprehensive Plan includes several metrics to track outcomes related to energy and health.
Last updated: June 2019
Clean Distributed Energy SystemsList All
Orlando’s municipal utility, the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), offers district energy services through OUCooling. The program delivers air conditioning more efficiently to building participants.
OUC customers may also enroll in a community solar program or participate in the utility’s solar bulk purchasing program OUCollective.
Last updated: June 2019
Mitigation of Urban Heat Islands List All
The Community Sustainability Action Plan’s Livability chapter includes a goal to increase the urban canopy coverage to 40% by 2040.
The city provides development bonuses for buildings that exceed the minimum environmental sustainability requirements, such as energy efficiency enhancements, stormwater design, and solar and/or other renewable energy installation.
The city has adopted a private tree protection ordinance. The Southeast Orlando Sector Plan Development Guidelines and Standards protect urban wetlands from development beyond what is currently required by state law.
Last updated: June 2019
Buildings Policies
Score: 14 out of 30 points
Buildings Summary List All
The City of Orlando complies with the State of Florida’s codes. The Building Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy requires buildings over 50,000 square feet to benchmark energy use and will require energy-saving actions beginning in 2020. The city also administers a voluntary benchmarking program for smaller buildings. Orlando offers several incentives to encourage energy efficiency improvements, solar installation, and low-income energy actions.
Last updated: March 2019
Building Energy Code AdoptionList All
Overview
Effective 2017, Florida law requires that residential and commercial buildings comply with the 6th Edition Florida Building Code. The code is based on the 2017 International Energy Conservation Code with state amendments. Cities are not permitted to adopt codes more stringent than the state codes. To learn more about Florida’s building energy codes, please visit the State Policy Database
Commercial
Commercial projects in Orlando comply with Florida’s building energy codes. Orlando has not yet begun to advocate to the state level for increased stringency in commercial building codes. The city’s zEPI score for their commercial energy code is 53.4.
Residential
Residential projects in Orlando comply with Florida’s building energy codes. Orlando has not yet begun to advocate to the state level for increased stringency in residential building codes. The city’s zEPI score for their residential energy code is 60.7.
Solar- and EV-ready
The city has not passed a policy mandating new developments be solar- and/or EV-ready.
Last updated: March 2019
Building Energy Code Enforcement and ComplianceList All
Orlando does not have staff solely dedicated to energy code compliance. The city requires third-party plan review and performance testing for code compliance. The city does not provide upfront support for energy code compliance.
Last updated: March 2019
Incentives and Financing for Efficient Buildings and Renewable EnergyList All
Orlando offers six incentives and financing options for energy efficiency upgrades, solar installation, and low-income projects.
Residential and commercial property owners may access property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing for both energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy installations.
The city partners with the non-profit Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) and the municipal Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) to provide property owners with home energy improvements. The program is far-reaching and provides additional support to low-income homeowners.
Please note that each incentive/program is tallied based on the building types and energy resources eligible for award. For example, a PACE financing program that offers energy efficiency and renewable energy financing to both residential and commercial property owners is counted as four incentives.
Last updated: March 2019
Required Energy ActionsList All
Starting in May 2020, in accordance with the Building Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy, owners of buildings larger than 50,000 square feet that score under the national ENERGY STAR score of 50 must either perform an energy audit or perform a retro-commission one time every five years.
Last updated: May 2019
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce DevelopmentList All
The City of Orlando has partnered with outside organizations to develop its local energy workforce. The city participated in a taskforce with Valencia College to develop an Associate’s Degree dedicated to energy management, automation, and controls technology.
The city has also partnered with the United States Green Building Council to host ENERGY STAR 101 and 102 workshops and webinars. These training sessions are free of charge and provided to building management professionals through a classroom-style learning experience.
Last updated: March 2019
Energy & Water Utilities
Score: 5.5 out of 15 points
Energy & Water Utilities Summary List All
Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), a municipally-owned utility, provides water and electric service to the citizens of Orlando. TECO Peoples Gas, an investor-owned utility (IOU), is Orlando’s primary natural gas utility. The State of Florida requires its utilities which post sales of 2,000 GWh or more to implement cost-effective energy efficiency programs and to conduct energy efficiency potential studies. Natural gas programs are required by orders and legislation. To learn more about the state-requirements for electric and gas efficiency, please visit the Florida page of the State Database.
The City of Orlando’s Department of Public Works provides wastewater and stormwater management services for Orlando.
Last Updated: March 2019
Electric & Gas Energy Efficiency Programs and SavingsList All
In 2017, according to OUC, they achieved 42,476 MWh in net incremental savings, representing 0.65% of retail sales. In 2017, TECO Peoples Gas did not report savings from gas efficiency programs. These savings figures cover the entire Florida service territory, not just Tampa. OUC offers electric efficiency incentives and technical assistance to residential and commercial/industrial customers. TECO Peoples Gas similarly offers natural gas efficiency programs to residential and business customers.
The City of Orlando is actively working with OUC on developing more efficiency programs through the City Energy Project, including data access platform for whole-building energy use data and additional services, including benchmarking and retro-commissioning. Through the City Energy Project and the Central Florida Energy Efficiency Alliance (CFEEA), the City of Orlando is actively promoting OUC and efficiency rebates and incentives, along with organizing various summits and workshops including the efficiency and conservation managers for each company to participate. OUC also partners with the City on energy efficiency workshops for multifamily and Housing Authority communities.
At this time, the City of Orlando does not have a formal partnership with TECO Peoples Gas in the form of a jointly-developed or administered energy saving strategy, plan, or agreement.
Last Updated: March 2019
Low-Income & Multifamily EE Programs List All
Low-Income Programs
The OUC offers the Residential Efficiency Delivered Program to qualified low-income residential customers. This program provides up to $2,000 of energy and water efficiency upgrades based on the needs of the customer’s home. Upgrades include ceiling insulation, duct system repair, pipe insulation, window film, window caulk, door caulk, door weatherstripping, door sweep, threshold plate, air filter replacement, toilet replacement, irrigation repairs, water flow restrictors and minor plumbing repairs. This program is implemented in collaboration with an Efficiency Delivered contractor, who are selected through a request for proposal process on a routine basis. Customers may also qualify for on bill financing options. OUC and the City partner to conduct in-person outreach, host workshops and information sessions, and spread the word about the program. In 2017, according to OUC, it achieved 54 MWh savings and served 95 low-income customers through its low-income program.
At this time, TECO Peoples Gas does not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at low-income customers in Orlando.
Multifamily Programs
OUC offers the comprehensive retrofit Multi-Family Efficiency Program. This program provides rebates for energy efficiency upgrades such as window improvements and film insulation, cool reflective roofs, ceiling and attic insulation, new heat pumps, proper sizing of air conditioning systems, duct repair, ultra-low-flow toilets, and new water heaters and washers. A property inspection is performed to validate which energy efficiency upgrades are needed. In 2017, according to OUC, it achieved 125 MWh savings from its multifamily program while serving 472 multifamily customers.
At this time, TECO Peoples Gas does not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at multifamily properties.
Last Updated: March 2019
Provision of Energy Data by UtilitiesList All
OUC does not provide building managers with automatic benchmarking data for use in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, but they are currently developing a data access platform for whole-building utility data and ENERGY STAR web services. The City of Orlando is in the process of working to accelerate data provision by its utilities. Orlando is also a member of the Energy Data Accelerator through DOE.
Last Updated: March 2019
Renewable Energy Efforts of Energy UtilitiesList All
Renewable Energy Incentives
In 2017, OUC did not provide renewable energy incentives for the construction of new distributed solar or wind systems.
City-Led Efforts to Decarbonize the Electric Grid
In 2017, OUC produced 2% of its generation from renewable sources.
Last Updated: March 2019
Efficiency Efforts in Water ServicesList All
City-wide water efficiency and goals
The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) provides water saving solutions and rebate programs for residential and commercial buildings that include both water and energy efficiency measures. The City has set a goal of reducing potable water consumption per capita by 20%, which has been reduced from 92 gal/day in 2012 to 83 gal/day in 2017. The City has also developed a Water Resource Strategy to address water conservation concerns.
Water plant efficiency and self-generation
In 2015, the Orlando Utility Commission set a Clean Energy Strategy goal of 20% of retail sales from renewables and energy efficiency by 2020. This target will require significant investment in both landfill gas and solar generation. The city’s water system does not self-generate its own energy.
Last Updated: May 2019
Transportation
Score: 14 out of 30 points
Transportation Summary List All
The transportation authority serving the City of Orlando is The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (Lynx). Lynx provides the public transportation for the city and the broader metropolitan area, including bus service. METROPLAN Orlando is the MPO in charge of conducting metropolitan transportation planning. Its area of jurisdiction encompasses Orlando, and many surrounding cities and towns. The Department of Transportation Engineering is the city agency charged with managing the city’s transportation network.
Last updated: January 2017
Sustainable Transportation Planning List All
Sustainable Transportation Plan
Orlando’s Community Sustainability Action Plan outlines strategies to reduce energy use in the transportation sector including expanding pedestrian and bike access to roads, increasing transit ridership, and expanding EV infrastructure.
VMT/GHG Targets and Stringency
Orlando does not have a VMT/GHG target in place for the transportation sector.
Progress Achieved Toward VMT/GHG Targets
Orlando does not track progress towards a VMT/GHG target.
Last Updated: March 2019
Location Efficiency List All
Location Efficient Zoning Codes
Orlando’s zoning code includes transect-based zoning as well as form-based zoning.
Residential Parking Policies
The City of Orlando was the first municipality to incorporate maximum parking standards into their parking code. The city has also adopted a new parking minimum requirement (to one-space per unit) for multifamily properties in Downtown Orlando.
Location Efficiency Incentives and Disclosure
As an incentive to promote location-efficient real estate development, Orlando provides discounts on impact fees up to 80%. The city also offers a robust density and intensity bonuses for development within mixed-use activity centers; mixed uses are required to obtain bonuses.
Last Updated: May 2019
Mode Shift List All
Mode Shift Targets
Based on the Community Sustainability Action Plan Update in 2018, the city is pursuing the goal of more than 50% of trips to be made by carpool, transit, bicycle, or walking city-wide.
Progress Achieved Toward Mode Shift Targets
Currently, Orlando is only tracking commute trips and no data is available for total trips made within the city.
Complete Streets
The City of Orlando has not yet adopted a complete streets policy.
Car Sharing
Orlando has a parking space lease agreement with FDOT for the on-street spaces (and one garage location) to be used for carsharing.
Bike Sharing
The city has 71.36 docked bike share bikes per 100,000 people.
Last Updated: May 2019
Transit List All
Transportation Funding
Orlando spends an average of $28.32 per capita on transit.
Access to Transit Services
The city has an All Transit Performance score of 7.1 out of 10.
Last Updated: March 2019
Efficient VehiclesList All
Vehicle Purchase Incentives
The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) offers a $3,000 rebate towards the purchase of a new Nissan Leaf.
Vehicle Infrastructure Incentives
OUC offers incentives for EV vehicle charging via its Charge-It program.
EV Charging Locations
Orlando has 51.74 publicly available EV charging locations per 100,000 people.
Renewable Charging Incentives
Orlando does not have any incentives for renewable EV charging infrastructure installation.
Last Updated: March 2019
Freight System EfficiencyList All
Orlando does not have a sustainable freight transportation plan in place nor does it have any policies that address freight efficiency.
Last Updated: March 2019
Clean, Efficient Transportation for Low-Income CommunitiesList All
Affordable New TOD Housing Policy
Orlando allows for affordable housing as a qualifying use towards mixed use requirements for density and intensity bonuses.
Connecting Existing Affordable Housing Stock to Efficient Transportation Options
As a strategy included in the Community Sustainability Action Plan 2018 Update, Orlando in the process of developing a car sharing program for low-income neighborhoods where public transit services are currently lacking. This will temporarily boost mobility options until public transit infrastructure is expanded to provide the level of service needed in these areas. To encourage the use of this program, the city will also consider providing subsidized rates for the program’s membership options to ensure affordability for all users.
Low-Income Access to High Quality Transit
51.2% of low-income households (those that earn less than $50k annually) are located near high-quality, all-day transit in Orlando.
Last Updated: April 2019