Marie Selby Gardens Becomes Revolutionary Net-Positive Energy Botanical Garden Complex

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens didn’t set out to break records – yet when the downtown Sarasota public garden unveiled its new Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF) and cutting-edge solar array earlier this summer, it became the first net positive energy botanical garden complex in the world.  

The project originated in 2016 as the organization began developing a three-phase master plan to determine how to restore their aging infrastructure. Phase One includes the following components:

• The cutting-edge Morganroth Family Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF), which houses parking, a garden-to-plate restaurant, a new giftshop, vertical gardens, and a nearly 50,000 square-foot solar array that has made make Selby Gardens the first net-positive energy botanical garden complex in the world;
• The state-of-the-art Steinwachs Family Plant Research Center, which secures irreplaceable scientific resources in a hurricane-resilient structure and provides a window into once behind-the-scenes world-class research. The facility contains the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Herbarium and Laboratory (housing preserved collections of more than 125,000 dried and pressed plant specimens and molecular scientific work), as well as a research library (with priceless volumes dating to the 1700s), spirit laboratory (with more than 45,000 specimens preserved in fluid—the second largest collection of its kind in the world), conference rooms, administrative offices, as well as a rooftop garden and solar array;
• The open-air Jean Goldstein Welcome Center consisting of a ticketing pavilion, welcome gallery, and welcome theater to properly accommodate and orient guests;
• a major stormwater management system to divert and clean millions of gallons of water each year before it is returned to Sarasota Bay;
• a publicly accessible multiuse recreational trail enabling multimodal transportation to the campus and the bayfront;
• off-site roadway improvements, which will also make access easier and safer;
• and a number of new garden and water features with more open space, including a Lily Pond Garden, Glades Garden, and the restoration of historic Palm Avenue as a pedestrian-only promenade.

RUNNING ON SOLAR

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ solar photovoltaic system is estimated to produce 1.27 kW hours of electricity per year. This upgrade is estimated to cut more than $100,000 in energy costs and offset nearly 1000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.   

For botanical gardens and similar organizations tasked with stewarding “living collections,” there is a unique (and perhaps critical) leadership opportunity in supporting preservation and environmental sustainability outside of the institution. This was the attitude Selby Gardens’ President and CEO Jennifer Rominiecki took on close to eight years ago when she challenged her team of designers and engineers to make the facility as green as possible.  

Rominiecki recalled an early phone call with the design team, when they realized that an additional array of solar panels would push them over the threshold to become the first net positive energy botanical garden complex in the world. 

“Should we try this?” the designer asked.  

“Absolutely.” Rominiecki replied.  

LEADING THE WAY

This required understanding and leveraging the unique character of their community and natural environment. Located in the “sunshine state,” Rominiecki felt that it just made sense to push the boundaries on what was possible through solar energy and to lead the way for climate-positive design within cultural institutions. 

Because Selby Gardens are situated on Florida’s gulf coast, it was also important to consider how their facility could be resilient to hurricanes and other natural climate disasters. In 2017, Hurricane Irma struck the Florida coast and “put an exclamation point” on the institution’s sustainability efforts, Rominiecki shared. Their living collection was at risk, housed in aging infrastructure on the ground level in a major flood zone. To serve their mission effectively, it meant attention to resilient infrastructure and preservation inside and outside the complex.

SUPPORT AT EVERY LEVEL

To undertake a project of this scale, one of the most significant — and often prohibiting — factors is funding. In total, the organization was able to raise $57 million in private philanthropy to support the project — a strategy which also served to demonstrate the widespread community support for this work. 

At every level, community members stepped in to offer what they could. One unique fundraising method generated a swell of support from donors of all ages: “Name a Solar Panel” in honor of friends or loved ones. Some panels were named in honor of local under-resourced schools; others were named after children and grandchildren of the community, which also served as an avenue to spark intergenerational conversations about environmental sustainability and the role each person can play.   Private philanthropy also allowed Selby Gardens to be more nimble, which was critical to adapt to the changing needs of the project and the environment and enabled them to secure ESG Sustainability Bond rating and subsequently $31 million in bond financing. During bond sales, demand was overwhelming – with more than three times as many requests. According to Rominiecki, this is evidence that investors are hungry to support these types of green infrastructure projects.

PUSH THE ENVELOPE

Marie Selby Botanical Garden celebrated this support with a switch-on ceremony held June 27, 2024. This also started the clock on a rigorous 12-month evaluation process with the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) to achieve Living Building Challenge and Living Community Petal certifications. 

Asked what organizations could do to take on similar work, Rominiecki’s advice was clear: “Push the envelope.”  

Particularly if an institution is developing new facilities or infrastructure, there is a unique opportunity to create something that has maybe never been done before and share what you have learned to become a model for institutions across the world. 

Check out the Master Plan here.

Read about the details of Phase Two here.