Completed Energy Programs

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' (FDACS) Office of Energy has successfully completed all work associated with the following programs.

Advanced Micro Grid Clean Energy Trainer Kit Program

The Advanced Micro Grid Clean Energy Trainer (CET) Kit Program is a competitive program designed to provide advanced education kits to Florida public school districts. The CET Kits are to be utilized by schools throughout each district for the purposes of providing hands-on science, technology, engineering and math activities to students during school hours, camps or after-school programs.

Energy Assurance Grant Program

Using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, the FDACS Office of Energy worked with several state agencies to review and strengthen Florida's Energy Assurance Plan by incorporating recent and planned smart grid improvements and renewable energy facilities. This program will replace Florida's current electric outage reporting system with an automated system and combine that with an electric outage mapping system.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

Florida leveraged funds available through the EECBG Program to address energy efficiency and conservation priorities at both the state and local level. Specifically, Florida allocated more than 60 percent of the EECBG funds to eligible counties and municipalities through a competitive grant process. The remaining EECBG funds were disbursed through a variety of programs and initiatives that aligned with EECBG goals.

Programs under EECBG included:

• Competitive Grants to Local Governments,
• Sunshine State Buildings Initiative,
• Energy Code Compliance and Effectiveness Measurement,
• Energy Code Training and Education,
• Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Conversion Rebate Program and
• Local Government Energy Efficient Lighting Grant Program.

Energy Efficient Retrofits for Public Facilities Grant Program

The Energy Efficient Retrofits for Public Facilities Grant Program was created using funds from the State Energy Program. Under this program, 18 eligible Florida local governments and nonprofit organizations were awarded a total of $952,212 to make energy-efficient retrofits in publicly accessible, community-oriented buildings. Examples of projects that were supported as a result of this program include replacement of indoor lighting and light fixtures, insulation upgrades, replacement of HVAC units and ducts, installation of energy management systems, and replacement of security lighting on the building exterior. Libraries and community centers are among the most common types of buildings being retrofitted under this program. Retrofits funded by this program were required to be completed by July 31, 2015.

Farm Renewable and Efficiency Demonstration

The Farm Renewable and Efficiency Demonstration (FRED) Program provided free energy evaluations valued up to $4,500 to Florida farmers. FRED also provided Florida farmers grant reimbursement for 80 percent of the cost to implement the recommendations from the free energy evaluation up to $25,000. Examples of eligible projects for reimbursement included energy-efficient lighting and water pumps, and small-scale renewable energy generation such as solar or biomass.

Florida Small Community Energy Efficient Lighting Grant Program

The Florida Small Community Energy Efficient Lighting Grant Program was designed to assist eligible small local government entities reduce their total energy use and energy costs through the replacement of inefficient lighting with energy efficient lighting.

Local Government Natural Gas Vehicle Rebate Program 

The Local Government Natural Gas Vehicle Rebate Program provides rebates to local government entities that submitted applications in the previous state-funded Natural Gas Fuel Fleet Vehicle Rebate Program under Fiscal Year 2016-17 but did not receive funding. 

Multifamily Retrofit Demonstration Projects

As a result of the recommendations made in the Florida Multifamily Efficiency Opportunities Study [ 2.7 MB ] , the FDACS Office of Energy entered into grant agreements using State Energy Program funding with two Florida housing authorities to examine the energy efficiency and energy savings of making targeting retrofits to selected properties. Retrofits funded by this program were completed prior to July 31, 2015.

As part of the program requirements, projects collected energy usage data for a period of one year before and one year after the retrofits. The Multifamily Retrofit Demonstration Projects Data Analysis Report [ 1.8 MB ] is an analysis of the energy savings achieved under the Multifamily Retrofit Demonstration Projects. This report provides an analysis of the energy savings achieved under two Multifamily Retrofit Demonstration Projects. The first project achieved an average decrease in daily energy usage of 13.34% and the second project 30.4%. 

Natural Gas Fuel Fleet Vehicle Rebate

The program provided rebates of up to $25,000 per vehicle and $250,000 per applicant per fiscal year for up to 50 percent of the costs associated with the conversion, purchase or lease of natural gas fleet vehicles registered in the state of Florida.

Farm Energy and Water Efficiency Realization

The Farm Energy and Water Efficiency Realization Program was a pilot program in Suwannee County that provided on-site energy and water audits to farms. The pilot program provided a 75% cost share, up to $25,000, to area agriculture producers who participated in the audit and choose to implement some of the recommendations.

Renewable Energy Technologies Grants Program

The Renewable Energy Technologies Grants Program was established in 2006 by the Florida Renewable Energy Technologies & Energy Efficiency Act to provide renewable energy matching grants for demonstration, commercialization, research and development projects relating to renewable energy technologies. Grant funds were available to Florida municipalities and county governments, established for-profit companies licensed to do business in Florida, universities and colleges in Florida, utilities located and operating within Florida, nonprofit organizations and state of Florida agencies. Eligible proposals were evaluated based on a number of different criteria, including cost share percentage, economic development potential, energy efficiency and how the project fosters public awareness of renewable energy technologies.

Research and Development Bioenergy Grant Program

The Research and Development (R&D) Bioenergy Grant Program provided bioenergy grants for research, development and commercialization relating to bioenergy technologies and innovative technologies that significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption for transportation and/or electric generation.

State Energy Program (SEP) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

Florida created a broad portfolio of energy-related programs with SEP ARRA funds that align with national and Florida-specific goals. These programs were designed to increase jobs, reduce U.S. oil dependency through increases in energy efficiency and deployment of renewable energy technologies, promote economic vitality through an increase in “green jobs,” and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Programs under SEP ARRA included:

• Solar for Schools & Shelters,
• Solar Energy Rebate Program,
• E-85/B20 Public/Private Fueling Grant Program,
• Florida ENERGY STAR Residential HVAC Rebate Program,
• Shovel Ready Energy Project Grants,
• Florida Clean Energy Grants,
• Florida Renewable Energy, Efficiency and Conservation Grants (FREEC),
• Florida Energy Opportunity Fund — Clean Energy Investment Program and
• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fleet Fueling Facilities — Matching Grants.