Marketplace

Metro Orlando comprises nearly 300 companies engaged in various aspects of the traditional clean technology & sustainable energy sector. From petroleum distribution and building efficiency consulting to installation of solar panels for home power generation and creating diesel fuel from organic materials, local businesses are carving a niche in the energy/alternative fuels industry.

The commercial sector in Metro Orlando is basically segmented into three categories:

• Commodity - companies such as electric utilities, power generation, fuel distributors and wholesalers that deal mainly with the sale of energy sources.
• Service - companies that support commodity businesses, such as engineering firms and energy efficient construction/facilities management.
• Equipment - companies creating and/or providing machinery and infrastructure to the industry.

Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and Progress Energy are the primary utility companies serving the region. OUC is the second largest municipally-owned public utility in Florida, providing water and electric service to 190,000 customers in the city of Orlando and adjoining portions of Orange County. OUC owns the Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center and portions of other power plants in Florida, as well as eight water plants.

Progress Energy is a Fortune 250 diversified company with more than 23,000 megawatts of generation capacity. The company’s holdings include two electric utilities serving more than 2.8 million customers in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The headquarters for two major power generation companies – Mitsubishi Power Systems, Inc. (MPS) and Siemens Energy, Inc. – are also based in the region. MPS manufacturers, repairs and refurbishes parts for large turbines at its Orlando service center. In addition to standard corporate functions, some engineering design is performed at the Siemens headquarters.

Home to the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), the country’s leading renewable energy research center, Metro Orlando is well-positioned to become a hub for this emerging field. Located on a 20-acre complex site, FSEC performs renewable energy and energy efficiency research in partnership with industry, nonprofit organizations, private sponsors and national laboratories. An internationally-recognized institute of the University of Central Florida, FSEC focuses on solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) systems, as well as hydrogen technologies. The center’s research is based on field monitoring, computer simulations and controlled experiments in highly-instrumented laboratories.

As nearly half of Florida’s energy is used in buildings – with the demand driven mostly by air conditioning – FSEC is heavily involved in energy efficiency and building science. The center also does contracted research for in- and out-of-state utilities on end-use load patterns in various customer segments.

Both OUC and Florida Progress Energy are aggressively pursuing alternative energy and energy efficiency solutions. Progress Energy is a partner in a hydrogen fuel powered vehicle demonstration project to showcase hydrogen internal combustion and fuel-cell powered vehicles in Orlando. Ford Motors and BP Amoco are other partners in the venture, which the Metro Orlando EDC actively pursued.

Progress Energy has also teamed with Palm Harbor, a leading manufactured home builder, and FSEC to study the operation of PV systems in manufactured homes.

OUC uses methane gas from a local landfill as fuel to provide enough electricity for 10,000 homes, while reducing methane emissions from the landfill. OUC is currently soliciting customer feedback on Green Power, an expanded renewable energy program the utility plans to launch soon. OUC also provides financial incentives for residential and commercial solar power installations.

Solar collection for pool and water heating makes up a substantial portion of the commercial side of the sector. Two major solar panel manufacturers are based in the state, and sales and installation offices are located in Metro Orlando.

Companies in Metro Orlando are exploring different ways to create fuel from green sources. HUGR Systems, Inc. provides small engine-based equipment that burns environmentally-friendly biodiesel made from waste oil collected from local restaurants. The company serves carpet cleaning, lawn care and landscape businesses. Another local company specializes in environment-friendly packaging derived from plant material harvested during waterway restoration programs.

Renewable energy efforts are expected to increasingly turn to hydrogen technologies in Metro Orlando. With space launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center, there is much potential to leverage the expertise of NASA in the safe handling of hydrogen to expand the use of this fuel for general transportation. Both state Governor Jeb Bush and President George Bush have recently expressed great interest in hydrogen and other alternative fuels for powering vehicles and generating electricity and have pledged funding for research throughout the U.S.

For more information on some of Metro Orlando's leading photonics companies, please visit their websites by clicking on the links below, or, visit Company Profiles to read brief synopses of each company.

Allsolar
Clean Power Engineering Company
HUGR Systems
Mitsubishi Power Systems, Inc.
Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC)
Progress Energy
Siemens Energy, Inc.
Solis Energy