Florida, the capital of East Coast beach getaways, is doing its part to green the vacation hot spot.

This week, the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach was granted LEED Silver certification and is currently holding the title of first LEED Silver certified resort in the state. While being the first and only is an admirable achievement, let't hope they don’t keep that title for long (let's hope dozens more resorts earn a LEED Silver rating).

It's even a goal of Sandpearl's general manager, Stuart Arp, since Sandpearl's conception, we knew we would incorporate green building materials and energy management systems to limit our impact on the environment; this milestone achievement helps ensure that generations of visitors will enjoy Clearwater Beach as we do today.”

A few of the features that helped Sandpearl earn the certification include a heat recovery exhaust system where recovered heat from parts of the resort can be channeled back in for warmed air. Each room is equipped with an energy management system that allows guests to adjust the temperature level per their comfort, and unoccupied rooms are set to more energy efficient temperatures.

Windows and the glass doors are tinted to block ultraviolet rays, prevent heat from warming a room, and sensors on doors left opened can take advantage of a beach breeze by alerting the air conditioning system to conserve energy as well. An interesting and unique feature relates to sanitizing resort pools.

Instead of treating pools with chlorine and other harsh chemicals, ozone is used.

But, isn't ozone bad? Atmospheric ozone is part of global warming dangers, but naturally occurring oxygen bonded together to form ozone can be used to treat water and then breaks down to oxygen molecules once cleaning is complete. It's an interesting idea. It does limit guest interaction with chemicals like chlorine that can burn skin, eyes, and cause respiratory discomfort. Ozone can be expensive, exposure to it can be just as dangerous as chlorine. Resorts will have to balance the pros and cons for the environment and the safety of guests.

Greening resorts is great for sustainable travel; greening the resort industry in a state that capitalizes on tourism is even better.

Resorts that do so can attract an eco-minded clientele, and leaves an environment to enjoy for years to come.For more information about the resort's green features, visit Sandpearl.com.