Orange County Convention Center begins largest solar panel project in southeast U.S.

In 2008, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), in partnership with the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), was awarded a $2.5 million grant from the state of Florida to be used, along with several other funding resources, to install a one-megawatt, rooftop, solar photovoltaic (PV) system.  It will be the largest PV system in the southeastern United States and will utilize high-efficiency, flat-plate collectors to store and generate solar energy.

The new system will significantly reduce energy costs, dependency on foreign fuel, greenhouse gas emissions, and contributions to the global warming epidemic.

 OCCC's additional energy-focused projects include:

•   A Climate-Change Education Center inside the OCCC to promote the many environmental and economic benefits of solar power and other renewable-energy technologies ( Opening Fall 2009 )

•   Converting existing lighting to solid-state, light-emitting diode (LED) lighting for reduction in energy consumption and spent-bulb generation

•  Continuous monitoring and load-matching of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to reduce energy consumption

•  It will be the largest rooftop PV system in the southeast United States, and it will generate the equivalent amount of electricity used by 100 average-size homes.

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