Community Projects

  • Toledo Zoo
  • Lucas County Buildings
  • BetterBuildings Program
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​The Toledo Zoo is quickly becoming an exemplar of green infrastructure investments. Beyond its most recent solar installation, in 2010 the Zoo put in a SolarWalk - over 1,400 solar panels that snake along the perimeter of the zoo parking lot to the entrance. In 2012 the SolarWalk generated just under 100 megawatt-hours of electricity. In addition to its solar projects, the Zoo installed a wind turbine to generate power for its parking booths, uses geothermal wells to help heat aquariums, and has implemented a variety of energy saving measures.

​Learn more: toledozoo.org/site/page/sustainability_initiatives
During the time period of 2011 through 2013 facility infrastructure upgrade projects implemented in 11 Lucas County buildings produced significant energy savings.

The primary energy reduction actions included the following projects: building systems control upgrades, lighting upgrades, and boiler piping modifications in the 701 and 711 Adams Street Office Complex. An additional energy cost factor is the costs for natural gas have been reduced as a result of purchasing through the state-wide CCAO program. 
From 2010-2013:
  • Electricity Consumption Reduced:
              13% (2,725,881 KWH)
  • Electricity Cost Reduced:
              22% ($448,912.66)
  • Natural Gas Consumption Reduced: 
              34% (25,041 MCF [Thousand Cubic Feet])
  • Natural Gas Cost Reduced:
              42% ($202,591.85)
  • Overall Energy Consumption Reduced:
              24%
  • Overall Energy Cost Reduced:
              26%
Annually, the combined electricity and natural gas consumption reduction resulted in a total reduction of 3,252 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

This quantity can also be viewed as equivalent of:
  • 678 passenger vehicles
  • 1,218 tons of waste sent to the landfill instead of recycled
  • 364,565 gallons of gasoline consumed
  • 162.5 homes’ energy use for one year
  • 2,665 acres of U.S. forests conserved
  • 7,563 barrels of oil consumed
From the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority BetterBuildings website:
"Building owners can save on energy costs while increasing the value of their investment by participating in BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio, a program of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

Through BetterBuildings, owners of virtually every type of building are eligible for low-cost financing to pay for high-efficiency improvements to their facilities and building systems. The goal is to make cost-effective energy practices and technology more accessible to individuals, businesses and governmental entities across Northwest Ohio - while also helping transform the way whole communities use energy.

Now, BetterBuildings offers attractive commercial financing at competitive interest rates with terms up to 15 yearsfor projects that focus on conserving energy and generating savings through equipment retrofits to existing facilities. Financing is structured so that the energy savings will cover the cost of equipment, upgrades, installation and transaction cost, which make these projects "self funding." In addition, eligible utility company rebates and other incentives can be included in the financing.

...BetterBuildings offers financing for projects that focus on conserving energy and generating savings through equipment upgrades to existing facilities. The following systems and processes are among those eligible for upgrades:
  • Lighting and Building Controls
  • HVAC, Boilers and Chillers
  • Compressor, Motors and Drives
  • Refrigeration
  • Waste Energy Recovery
  • Electrical Distribution
Financing for BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio is available thanks to a $15 million start-up grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The funding was issued in 2010 as part of the Retrofit Ramp-Up project, part of the $80 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio is just one of 25 programs across the nation chosen for participation."

Learn more about the program here.