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Energy Workshop Gets Green Light

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By CARL ORTH, The Suncoast News

Published: October 29, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - Sometimes helping the environment might be as simple as screwing in a light bulb.

In this case, though, the bulb might be a power-sipping LED light instead of an incandescent or fluorescent lamp. Some cities are giving LED streetlights a try, said Pasco County Commissioner Pat Mulieri.

The county has installed LED lamps in most of its traffic signals within the past several years, County Administrator John Gallagher said. The LEDs last longer than traditional bulbs.

County commissioners last week decided to hold a second workshop about incentives to promote even more 'green' techniques among local builders.

Developers often are ahead of the curve and are incorporating Earth-friendly features in their buildings as much as possible.

The first workshop demonstrated the intense interest in going green.

The event in May drew a standing-room-only crowd of more than 200 developers and residents at the West Pasco Government Center.

The second workshop probably can be set up by January or February, Chief Assistant County Administrator Michele Baker told the county commission last week.

Baker will check with Pasco-Hernando Community College officials about using the Performing Arts Center at the college's West Campus on Ridge Road. The center seats up to 500 people.
Sarasota County has set the example for green development incentives in the region, Commissioner Jack Mariano said. Hillsborough County is going the same route.

At the May workshop here, officials with Pasco County and the U.S. Green Building Council Florida Gulf Coast Chapter had detailed the benefits from the LEED rating system.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is detailed at the building council Web site at www.usgbc.org.

Many counties, cities and municipalities are utilizing the LEED rating system to design and build their facilities, said Joe Souza, regional sales engineer for Zephyrhills-based Filtrine Manufacturing Co. and a building council representative.

He went through a list of credits for water and energy conservation and for taming indoor air pollution.

Progress Energy officials pointed out rebates for light bulbs as an example.

Pasco could look in to adopting some of the expedited permitting and inspection system being put into practice in Sarasota County, Souza said.

Paul Radauskas, Sarasota County's Planning and Development Services chief building official, spoke about changes made to encourage green techniques.

Many 'green' products, once considered exotic and expensive, are becoming mainstream, said Eileen Thornton, director of sustainability programs for Newland Communities at the southeast division office in Tampa.

Higher profit margins once inspired home improvement stores to stock items such as low-flow urinals when they were new, Thornton noted. Now prices are coming down as sales go up. Special, fluorescent light bulbs have dropped by half in price.

'It won't cost the county any more to give these incentives,' Mariano said.

The county might have to adjust some of its land development codes and streamline some permitting processes, Mariano said.

'Time is money' for developers, he added.

For information, e-mail the Florida chapter of the building council at floridagulfcoast @chapters.usgbc.org or call (727) 938-2226.

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