EFFICIENCY

Did you know that being “green” can also save you green? A well-insulated home, energy efficient and water efficient appliances and fixtures, electric vehicles, and electricity generation save you money by reducing monthly fuel, water, and energy costs. Modern home appliances are much more energy efficient than their older counterparts. Greater efficiency also means lower carbon emissions. About 40 percent of climate-harming emissions come from the types of cars we drive, how we cool our homes, heat our water, cook our food, and dry our clothes. Rewiring America's "Home Electrification Guide" provides a roadmap for how you can save on your energy bill from clean electric appliances, improve indoor air quality, and reduce climate-warming emissions. The federal Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022 to help society transition to a more energy efficient and zero carbon emissions future in a cost effective manner, provides a variety of rebates and tax credits. See examples below under Rebates and check out Rewiring America's savings calculator to see how much money you could get through these incentives.

RENEWABLES

The City of Hollywood encourages our residents and businesses to use alternative forms of energy as an avenue to increase energy generation city-wide. In 2014, the City updated our code of ordinances to establish clear regulations for rooftop PV solar. The ordinance was added to chapter 151, which regulates buildings, and came about to allow Hollywood to participate in the Rooftop Solar Challenge along with Broward County. The ordinance aims to remove barriers to adopting alternative energy systems such as rooftop PV solar.

Broward Solar Co-op

The City encourages participation in the Broward Solar Co-op as Broward County strives to source 20% of its energy from renewable and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Broward County has worked with the non-profit Solar United Neighbors (SUN) since 2017 to support residents and small businesses going solar with customer assistance and group savings. The solar co-op is free to join and joining is not a commitment to purchase panels.

After a competitive bidding process facilitated by SUN, co-op members select one solar company to complete the installations. Joining the co-op does not obligate members to purchase solar. Instead, members can choose individually to purchase panels and electric vehicle chargers based on the installer's group rate. SUN hosts several free information sessions to educate community members about solar energy and the co-op. Previous sessions can be viewed at SolarUnitedNeighbors.org/Broward.

The 2020 Broward Solar Co-op had 130 property owner members, and 244 kilowatts of solar was contracted for installation. The 2019 Co-op led to 55 completed projects, totaling 536.6kW. These projects result in lifetime carbon reductions of 20,452,509 lbs. Co-op participants saved over $268,000 on their systems while investing almost $1.1 million in the local economy. 

The City of Hollywood is also adopting alternative energy systems for its power needs. Below are solar projects the City of Hollywood has implemented.

Hollywood SWEEP

In 2011, the City installed 151.2kW of solar photovoltaic generation capacity on four City facilities through a $1.3 million grant from the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Program, reducing energy costs and carbon emissions. The panels were installed at:

• City Hall
• Hollywood Beach Culture & Community Center
• Fire Station 74 &
• Fire Station 105

More information: https://www.energysystemsgroup.com/hollywood/https://www.energy.gov/articles/hollywood-florida-celebrates-less-traditional-type-sweeps-week

Solar Trees

Hollywood has solar trees in ArtsPark at Young Circle and in Charnow Park on Hollywood Beach through FPL’s SolarNow program. These trees provide shade for visitors while creating clean, emissions-free solar power.

REBATES

Energy Rebates and Tax Credits

There are also a lot of programs in place to reduce costs of adopting these efficient technologies.  Rebates and tax credits can be taken alone or combined together and used to increase the money savings on improvements to your property. The following list is a starting point, but programs are updated and made available frequently so residents should research. Energy Star's Utility Genius Rebate Finder shows rebates available on the purchase of efficient commercial building equipment, such as lighting and HVAC.

City of Hollywood Rebates

Energy and water use are closely related. The treatment and delivery of water and waste water uses a large amount of energy. Water conservation saves energy use by utilities thereby saving taxpayer money. the City of Hollywood offers several programs for water conservation.

• Rebates are offered for water efficient toilets up to $100 per toilet with a max of two toilets per customer. Learn more on the City’s website.
• Exchange programs are offered for shower heads and restaurant pre-rinse spray valves. New showerheads come with a water conservation kit which includes a faucet aerator, leak detection tablets, and conservation tips. Learn more on the City’s website.

FPL Customer Rebates

FPL customers have the following rebates available:

 Residential: https://www.fpl.com/save/programs.html

Commercial: https://www.fpl.com/business/save/programs.html

TECO Customer Rebates

TECO customers have the following rebates available:

TECO Residential Rebates

TECO Commercial Rebates 

Federal Tax Credits and Discounts

EcoWatch helps people make informed, environmentally-conscious decisions that support a sustainable future for everyone. They produced a guide for homeowners to know how to claim their solar investment tax credit. Here are examples of tax credits and discounts available at the federal level.

Page updated August 29, 2022