In this series, we’re exploring state and local building efficiency regulations to give you a bird’s-eye view of the policies that may impact your portfolio.

A cultural mecca, with its white-sand beaches and exciting nightlife, Miami is a hotspot for vacationers and locals. Yet rising temperatures and 25 dangerous heat days per year make it increasingly challenging to enjoy, especially in the summer months.¹ By 2050 the number of dangerous heat days could increase to over 100 days per year.² And Miami’s dense population, subtropical climate, and proximity to the coast make it especially susceptible to storms and flooding.

Climate change is a very real and present threat for this city and its inhabitants. To help mitigate the causes of climate change, the city established a goal to reach carbon neutrality/net-zero emissions by 2050 and developed a comprehensive GHG reduction plan. However, mitigation efforts are not sufficient. Climate change adaptation and resilience are the ‘names of the game’ in Miami. Responding to the impacts of climate change and preparing for them are now higher priorities than trying to prevent them from worsening.  

In May 2019, Miami partnered with the City Energy Project and launched its brand new Resilient 305 initiative. The plan consists of 59 action items and only one recognizes the important role that building energy efficiency plays in mitigating carbon emissions and making buildings more resilient to the impact of severe weather events. Action Item #17, “Building Efficiency 305", sets the goal to increase the existing building stock performance and meet energy and water reduction goals.³ These strategies are necessary to reduce Miami’s carbon footprint and lessen the rate of climate change for this vulnerable city.

We’ve compiled the key building energy requirements, policies, and plans for Miami Dade. For more information on voluntary incentive programs throughout Miami and across Florida, please see the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.  

Learn more about how Aquicore makes it easy to collect the energy data needed to comply with local, city, and state benchmarking regulations and some incentive programs.

Key Sources:

• https://database.aceee.org/policies-targeting-existing-buildings
• https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/program-administrators/state-and-local-governments/see-federal-state-and-local-benchmarking-policies
• https://www.dsireusa.org/
• https://www.ncsl.org/research/energy/energy-legislation-tracking-database.aspx