OUC Puts Green Perspective into Practice

We know that environmentally sound building practices aren’t just something we should promote to our customers. It is OUC’s responsibility to serve as a role model in our community and to put these green tenets into practice.

OUC is breaking ground on a new downtown administration building — a planned 10-story structure housing a wide array of environmental building initiatives. Designed to meet or exceed the requirements for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the new building will help promote environmentally responsible building programs in Central Florida.

The new building is needed because parking and access to OUC's 40-year-old building is adversely affected by the Florida Department of Transportation's expansion of the Interstate 4/State Road 408 interchange.

In addition to featuring an expanded walk-in customer service center and several drive-through lanes, the building will house a first-floor education center to teach customers about the benefits of the building’s conservation initiatives.

The most visible example of the building’s green design will be a 2,000-square-foot array of photovoltaic panels along the roof that will generate 25 kilowatts of solar power. Solar power also will be used to generate hot water, while high-efficiency exterior windows will help keep the sun from increasing cooling costs.

Finally, daylight-sensitive light controls in offices and rainwater collection on the roof are just a few of the other ways LEED practices will help OUC save both energy and water.