Nearly half of Broward County’s Communitywide Greenhouse Gas Emissions come from electricity use by residential, commercial, and industrial users. This electricity primarily comes from the burning of fossil fuels like natural gas and coal. Producing electricity from cleaner sources like solar and using electricity more efficiently reduces both the amount of fuel needed to generate electricity and the amount of greenhouse gases and other air pollution emitted as a result. Reducing electricity use also helps reduce water use as fossil-fuel electricity generation and water systems are inextricably linked, each other being dependent on the other to operate. Using less energy and water also helps you lower your utility bills.
How much energy and water am I using?
You can't manage what you don't measure. FPL's free Residential Energy Manager and Business Energy Manager online tools allow you to better monitor, analyze, simulate and calculate your energy bill. Wondering how much CO2 emissions your household's usage is contributing annually? The EPA's free Household Carbon Footprint Calculator estimates your emissions based on your usage and helps you calculate emissions reductions for implementing Low to No Cost energy conservation measures.
Your water bill has important information about how much drinking water you use and how your usage impacts your bill. Make sure to check both your paper bill and online billing portal regularly, some water utilities only provide consumption history on their online portals. Did you know most Americans underestimate the how much water they use? Step up and Calculate your Water Footprint® to better understand your daily water use and opportunities for conservation.
Incentives and Financing Available for Energy and Water Efficiency Upgrades
FPL offers residents and businesses no-cost energy usage evaluations and recommendations to help get you started on making your building more energy efficient. They also offer residential and commercial customers rebates for energy saving upgrades. Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program is a financing option for energy efficiency and conservation projects available to both homeowners and business owners in Broward County. Qualifying improvements include rooftop solar panels, solar water heater, energy efficient air conditioning unit, cool roof, impact windows, insulation, and more. Learn more about PACE financing.
The non-profit Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) is an independent, non-profit, community-based lending organization focused on financing home renovations that promote energy efficiency, clean energy alternatives, storm protection, water conservation, and disability products. Learn more about SELF financing.
The Broward Water Partnership's Conservation Pays Program offers toilet rebates for qualifying residents, businesses and nonprofits. BWP also offers eligible residents water-efficient showerheads and low-flow faucet aerators. Commercial kitchens can get pre-rinse spray valves. Learn more about Broward's Water Conservation Programs.
Go Solar
Broward County has made great strides towards leading a clean energy future with more than 6 megawatts in solar energy project commitments across 15 sites, including Port Everglades, Broward parks, libraries, parking garages and other county facilities. These include both solar parking canopies and rooftop installations. Broward County also earned SolSmart Bronze designation for its efforts in making it faster, easier, and more affordable for homes and businesses to go solar in Broward.
Solar United Neighbors Broward County Co-ops help residents and businesses better understand what goes into going solar and provide an opportunity to leverage the bulk-purchasing power of its members. The co-ops are free to join and there is no obligation to buy panels. Learn more about Going Solar in Broward.
