Outreach: The Program for Resource Efficient Communities (PREC) creates and teaches continuing education courses and associated certifications for professionals involved in the design, construction, and management of residential community developments. Our continuing education programs are typically designed to satisfy State of Florida licensure and Professional Association requirements. Beyond those requirements, exams leading to supplemental certificates are offered on a voluntary basis. These programs and associated optional certificates are explicitly linked to affiliated resource efficient community related certification systems wherever possible. In addition to our continuing education outreach, PREC specialists collaborate in project review and on-going support of best management practices on a case-by-case basis. View a professional certification example.

Research: PREC identifies and prioritizes applied research topics and grants related to our mission, with special emphasis on resource efficient certification standards and supporting case studies. A corollary activity will be the regular screening of on-going University of Florida research to identify potential synergies. View an applied research example.

Teaching: PREC supports graduate students whose applied research addresses critical resource efficiency issues, provides case studies related to impacts of specific practices, and develops training materials for use in professional continuing education courses. PREC also promotes student internships with developers, certification groups, government agencies and others that offer real-world, interdisciplinary experience related to the Program’s mission. View a graduate student example.

Certification: PREC reviews product, building, and community certification systems that apply to resource efficiency. These Certification systems are evaluated from the perspective of best design, construction, and management practices as endorsed by University of Florida specialists. This is a necessary core function for the Program for the following reasons. First, the proliferation of certification systmes and their multiple levels of potential application create confusion that can obscure the relative merits of the certifying organizations and their various guidelines. Second, it is important to ensure that recommendations of the various systems are appropriate for application in Florida’s unique environment. Finally, the on-going review of certification systems identifies collaboration and partnership opportunities to support PREC’s outreach, research and teaching activities. PREC does not directly administer or operate individual certification systems, but rather works with external certification organizations. These may be internal University of Florida systems such as Florida Yards & Neighborhoods or outside systems such as ENERGY STAR® or Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Program. View a sampling of certification systems.