Energy and Water Conservation Program
The Energy and Water Conservation program helps County departments conserve energy and water in a way that is cost-effective and aligns with the County’s Resilient Pinellas Action Plan and the County’s Strategic Plan.
Quick Facts
The program frequently performs energy audits of Pinellas County-owned buildings to create a roadmap for making the facilities more energy- and cost-efficient.
The Energy and Water Conservation program collaborates with County departments and community partners to develop effective conservation projects and programs across the county.
Pinellas County’s Downtown Central Energy Plant generates and delivers chilled water through an underground piping network to provide energy efficient air conditioning to several County buildings. The plant is currently saving the County more than $1.5 million in annual operating costs.
Accomplishments
The Energy and Water Conservation Program determined the County saved 1.9 million kilowatt-hours and nearly $129,000 per year by replacing high-pressure sodium streetlight bulbs with LED fixtures.
Pinellas County is replacing the Young-Rainey Science Technology and Research (STAR) Center’s current 900-ton chiller — a machine used to lower the temperature of industrial spaces — with a new, more energy efficient chiller that will reduce energy use and costs as well as secure a rebate from Duke Energy.
Based on results of an energy audit, the County replaced over 6,000 incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs at the Pinellas County Jail, providing a cost savings of $68,000 per year
