Miami-Dade Advances Facility Efficiency With Solar and LED Upgrades

Miami-Dade County is partnering with Ameresco on a guaranteed energy, water and wastewater performance contract to modernize two public facilities. The project will combine rooftop solar photovoltaic systems with interior and exterior LED lighting retrofits, helping reduce electricity costs, improve building performance and support the county’s long-term decarbonization strategy.

Key takeaways

• Rooftop solar and LED upgrades are planned for the Miami-Dade Children’s Courthouse and E.R. Graham Building.

• The project is structured under a Guaranteed Energy, Water, and Wastewater Performance Savings Contract.

• Expected benefits include lower annual electrical expenditures, improved facility reliability and reduced energy consumption.

• The work supports Miami-Dade County’s broader resilience and sustainability objectives.

For contractors and facility managers, the project demonstrates how coordinated lighting and distributed-energy improvements can address operating costs while modernizing aging public infrastructure. LED retrofits, in particular, can deliver measurable efficiency gains with relatively limited disruption when properly specified and phased.

Solar and lighting improvements at two facilities

Ameresco will design and install rooftop solar photovoltaic systems at the Children’s Courthouse and the E.R. Graham Building. The company will also complete comprehensive LED retrofits covering interior and exterior lighting.

Together, the measures are expected to reduce electricity consumption and annual electrical expenditures. On-site generation can offset a portion of grid demand, while LED systems can improve illumination quality, reduce maintenance requirements and support more consistent facility operations.

For public-sector buildings, selecting dependable, specification-ready lighting products is an important part of achieving those outcomes. Wholesale suppliers such as Led Lumenaires help contractors and property teams evaluate commercial LED options, prepare layouts and source products in bulk for multi-area retrofit work.

Performance contracting links upgrades to savings

The agreement uses a Guaranteed Energy, Water, and Wastewater Performance Savings Contract, or ESPC. This model is designed to connect infrastructure improvements with anticipated savings, allowing a customer to pursue upgrades through a structured performance-based arrangement.

The announcement did not disclose the project’s total value, detailed system capacities or projected savings figures. Ameresco noted that the contract was already included in its awarded backlog as of December 31, 2025, and cautioned that announcing a contract does not determine the timing or amount of revenue recognition.

A practical model for resilient public buildings

Miami-Dade officials said the project will help keep critical facilities reliable and efficient while advancing county sustainability goals. The combination of renewable generation, efficient lighting and modern energy technologies is intended to lower operating expenses and strengthen infrastructure performance over time.

The project also reflects a broader trend among municipalities: addressing energy costs through coordinated building upgrades rather than isolated equipment replacements. For property managers, contractors and institutional facilities teams, that approach reinforces the value of planning lighting specifications, controls, rebates and procurement requirements together.

Led Lumenaires supports this type of commercial retrofit planning with spec-ready SKUs, bulk availability, fast fulfillment and Pro Support for product selection, layouts, rebate assistance and large quotes. Those resources can help project teams maintain consistent specifications across courthouses, offices, schools, healthcare sites and other multi-facility portfolios.

Sources

• Ameresco Collaborates with Miami-Dade County on Energy Savings Project to Deliver Solar and EfficiencyUpgrades, Business Wire.