From the County Council What are we doing?

A highlight on the Green Practices the County of Volusia has implemented  

• The Computing Security Policy not only promotes system security, but also power conservation by requiring PCs to be turned off at the end of the workday. Turning off the approximately 75% of the county’s PCs not required for around-the-clock operation such as the jail, has resulted in savings of up to $55,000 annually.

• County facilities have been retrofitted with T8 fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs reduce energy consumption by 25 percent (estimated to save more than $8,700 annually after two years). They also run cooler than the T12 bulbs they often replace, reducing cooling costs.

• Programmable thermostats: New thermostats were installed in fleet management offices and maintenance shops last year, saving $15,000 in electric and natural gas bills.

• The Medical Examiners office has purchased Digital Radiography equipment, a digital fingerprinting system and has implemented electronic distribution of postmortem reports.  The new systems have eliminated the need for chemical processing equipment and chemicals, including hazardous waste disposal. The digital images can be shared electronically, reducing the need for paper. The estimated cost savings is $5,000 a year.

• Road and Bridge - This division uses seven LED (Light-Emitting Diode) hybrid solar powered portable changeable message boards and two solar power arrow boards. These systems are very efficient, and their use releases no carbon emissions. The estimated cost savings for switching to the new boards is $13,000 a year.

• VOTRAN, Volusia County’s Public Transit System, has developed a Commuter Assistance Program (CAP). The CAP is an umbrella term for the alternative transportation programs VOTRAN provides. Its purpose is to provide commuting alternatives for the driving public to reduce the number of vehicles on the highways. It’s a service that the nearly 35,000 Volusia County residents who commute to work in Seminole, Orange and Brevard Counties can use.  Last year local van pool commuters saved $1,651,398 in commuting costs, 137,616 gallons of gas, 3,440,412 miles on their personal vehicles, and eliminated over 84,350 trips from the road.