Century Village Retirement Communities

Century Village dives headfirst into efficiency efforts

Century Village operates four retirement communities in southeast Florida and has worked closely with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) on energy efficiency measures to significantly lower their energy costs, helping to fulfill its core mission of providing its residents with luxury amenities at a low cost.

In the past year, Century Village has earned incentives through FPL’s Business Custom Incentive Program to install:

• Variable frequency drive (VFD) pool pumps to lower energy, maintenance, and chemical costs of community pools.
• High-efficiency, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to lower energy and maintenance costs in community clubhouses.

“We work hard at Century Village to keep our costs down and make living more affordable for our residents,” said Mr. Dan Cruz, vice president and regional facilities manager. “This includes looking at innovative ways to lower our energy costs. Working with FPL has made it possible to make these upgrades even more affordable through participation in their Business Custom Incentive program, which has saved us a significant amount of money in rebates and energy costs.”

Making waves with more efficient swimming pool technology

Operating over 60 pools among Century Village communities has historically meant running the pool pumps for 24 hours a day and heating them to a comfortable temperature. With more efficient technologies, Century Village communities have seen a drop in energy, maintenance, and chemical costs by installing:  

• Variable frequency drives (VFDs) on pool pumps: Unlike traditional pool pumps that run at one consistent speed, VFDs work with existing pool pumps to adjust the speed of the pump based on the pool’s required filtration rate. Operating at slower speeds can lower energy costs, which also helps increase the equipment life and lower maintenance costs by reducing wear and tear. Pembroke Pines’ pools were also outfitted with advanced telemetric controls, enabling the maintenance crew to efficiently operate and control 26 pool pumps remotely. Century Village received a Business Custom Incentive payment of nearly $11,000 and they expect to lower energy use by more than 459,000 kilowatt hours (kWh), for a savings of $41,000 annually.
• Swimming Pool Heat Pump Water Heaters: Compared to traditional water heaters, electric heat pump water heaters lower energy costs by capturing heat from the surrounding outside air to heat the pool, so less energy is needed to bring the water up to the desired temperature. With heat pump technology, Century Village has seen a drastic drop in the cost of energy to maintain a comfortable swimming temperature of 87 to 92 degrees from October to April.

Century Village expects a full return on investment for these technologies within the next four to five years.

A brighter future with more efficient lighting

Century Village converted their lighting to LEDs, which uses 80 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. These lights operate based on occupancy sensors to ensure lighting is only in use when clubhouse rooms are occupied, helping to lower energy costs within 500,000 square feet of recreational space.  Century Village received a Business Custom Incentive payment of over $12,500, and they expect to save $38,000 annually.

Earn incentives for your business

If your business has found a unique way to cut down on energy costs, improve efficiency, and save significant amounts of energy, FPL will reward qualifying projects with customized incentives. If you’re searching for ways to lower your energy costs, we’ll help you identify solutions to help you better manage your energy expenses when you schedule a free Business Energy Evaluation (BEE). To learn more about our Business Custom Incentive Program, BEEs, and other existing FPL efficiency programs, visit www.FPL.com/bizprograms.