Lake Nona Partners with GE to Deliver World-Class Energy Efficient, Healthy Community

By Georgiana Mihaila, Associate Editor

Lake Nona—the 7,000-acre master planned community that will rise within the city limits of Orlando—is determined to rival the world’s largest health and sustainability communities, and has set up a partnership with GE to achieve this goal.

Lake Nona’s Laureate Park—a new 2,700-home neighborhood located within walking distance of the Lake Nona Medical City—will benefit from reductions of at least 20 percent in energy, emissions and water usage in every home. The necessary technology will be provided by GE’s Homes Inspired by ecomagination Genprogram, coupled with the Masco Environments For Living Certified Green program.

Among GE’s innovative products showcased at Laureate Park are its state-of-the-art Nucleus energy manager and the residential EV charging station, the WattStation Wall Mount. GE’s hybrid heat pump water heater, the GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater, will also be included in every home, saving households up to 62 percent annually on water heating costs.

In addition, Lake Nona’s use of energy-efficient GE LED roadway lighting, including decorative post top fixtures, will cut annual street lighting costs by up to 50 percent compared with metal halide lighting systems. Other featured products that are meant to ensure the healthier living of the residents are GE’s Germicidal Lighting,  GE’s InBody system—offering in-depth body composition analysis, and  GE’s microwave featuring a MyPlate button, which helps easily select foods from the new USDA guidelines for nutritious meal preparation. Besides GE’s ecomagination products, the Lake Nona collaboration also integrates GE lighting and healthcare technologies in hospitals, clinics and homes throughout Lake Nona.

“Our collaboration with GE brings a global perspective to Lake Nona that is helping us achieve a level of efficiency unmatched in the region,” said Lake Nona President Jim Zboril. “With the help of GE’s emerging, innovative products, Lake Nona is quickly becoming a showplace for cutting-edge, sustainable design.”

The opportunities for commercial development at Lake Nona are impressive, with millions of square feet of commercial space available for businesses, shops, restaurants, medical offices and more. Lake Nona will be home to a world-class corporate park that will offer a wide variety of for-lease and build-to-suit options. With its Lake Nona Town Center, an upscale open-air mall planned just off Lake Nona Blvd., the community is also destined to become a premiere shopping destination for the region. Developed by Lake Nona Property Holdings and owned by private investment company Tavistock Group, Lake Nona currently has more than $2 billion in active construction, millions of square feet of new educational, health and life science research facilities and thousands of new residences.

Image: Laureate Park via Lake Nona Official Facebook Page