The City of Boynton Beach, “The Gateway to the Gulf Stream,” is a coastal city located in a rapidly growing area of Palm Beach County. Major Nathan S. Boynton, a native of Michigan who distinguished himself in the Civil War, founded the city, which has a current population of over 65,000.  The city attracts a multitude of business and industry and people of all ages and interests.

In February 2008, Boynton Beach adopted a resolution making the commitment to improve and sustain the environmental needs of the City. The City Commission recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship regarding energy, water, air, land, waste and sustainable construction. Other communities across the country have also established that environmentally sound practices will save money, energy and resources over time. Environmental improvement is a critical and timely issue that should foster cooperation between citizens, businesses, and government.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) recently approved the City’s amendment to its Energy Block Grant, which will enable the City to move forward with three new projects. These include an HVAC retrofit at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center; motion sensor installations at City facilities, and solar water heaters and photovoltaic technology at Fire Station #5.

Boynton Beach first received an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Allocation of $658,900 in 2009 from the DOE through ARRA Stimulus Funding. Part of that money was used to complete a required Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy for submittal to DOE; conduct a Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory; and develop a long-term Climate Action Plan. After completing these projects and an energy efficiency retrofit at the City’s Ezell Hester, Jr. Center that included replacing internal and ball field lighting, installation of lighting motion sensors and replacement of old appliances with Energy Star appliances, the City was left with over $90,000 for additional projects. This past February, the City Commission approved three additional sustainability projects to be submitted to the DOE as an amendment to the original grant.

The HVAC upgrade at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center will replace older, less efficient condensing units, cooling coils and gas reheat coils. The project is estimated to cost $26,236 and is expected to save over $3,300 annually and reduce CO2e by 29.618 metric tons. CO2e is an abbreviation of “carbon dioxide equivalent” and is the internationally recognized measure of greenhouse emissions.

Installing motion sensors at 284 high traffic areas throughout City owned facilities to provide automatic on/off control of lighting is estimated to cost $32,740 and is expected to save over $2,600 and nearly 25,000 kWh a year. The proposed CO2e reduction is 17.800 metric tons.

Finally, installation of Solar Heating and Photovoltaic Panel Systems at Fire State #5 on High Ridge Rd. and Gateway Blvd. is estimated to cost $32,000 and should save the City approximately 75-80 percent of the current cost to heat water. The photovoltaic system will offset approximately $90 per month of the building’s electrical costs with 14,325 kWh saved and a reduction of 10.3 metric tons of CO2e. The public will be able to monitor the energy production, energy savings and carbon offset in “real time” on the City’s website.

As part of the City of Boynton Beach’s Climate Action Plan, the City Commission adopted a Green Building Program on 4/27/11, making it only the second of its kind in the entire nation. The new program incorporates the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), which was released in 2010 by the Code Council to aid in the construction of sustainable buildings in the business and residential sectors. Among its goals are to decrease energy usage and carbon footprints.

Adoption of the program puts the City ahead of the State of Florida, which is tracking the same IGCC Green Building Program that Boynton Beach adopted. Legislation pending through Florida House Bill 849 and Florida Senate Bill 396 would amend the definition of “sustainable building rating” to include the International Green Construction Code. As part of its new Green Building Program, Boynton Beach will be the first city in the ccountry to add fees to help fund “green” building incentives.

More information on the International Green Construction Code is available at http://www.iccsafe.org.

Want to help keep Boynton’s beaches clean? Join the “Sand Sifters.” For more information, visit www.sandsifters.org/  and http://www.seaangels.org/

From necessities such as water and sewer, garbage and trash pickup, police and fire protection and code compliance, to amenities such as golf, tennis, library services, and oceanfront and special events, the City’s elected officials and employees are dedicated to making Boynton Beach a great city in which to live, work, play and learn.