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06/06/07 - New
Environmental Initiative in Florida |
While businesses and
individuals increasingly look to save electricity, recycle and generally
work with more environmentally friendly methods, the building industry has
also started to get involved.
Real estate investors, both domestic and international, have noticed this
trend and are also looking for more green homes in which to invest.
The Florida Green Building Coalition (www.floridagreenbuilding.org) is a
group of builders, suppliers and architects who have established standards
to certify homes and buildings as green, or environmentally friendly.
Florida leading the way
Florida is helping to lead the way, and in particular the Tampa-St.
Petersburg area, for green building. The Green Building Coalition recently
announced that the city of St. Petersburg achieved Green City designation,
the first city in Florida to do so.
It joins the surrounding area of Pinellas County, the first county in the
state to be designated green. To obtain these designations the city and
county had to undertake a number of steps to promote environmentally
friendly practices and goals.
These include tracking energy and water use, having green beaches, educating
the public about reducing energy and water use and the city’s designation as
a Tree City USA from the National Arbor Day Foundation.
In addition to the government designations, several homes in the area have
taken steps to become green buildings. The model unit at the Color Key
cabana homes, facing the Gulf of Mexico, is the first home in the county to
be certified green.
New units to meet green standards
The developer has indicated he will construct any new units to meet green
standards if that’s what the buyers want. This includes increased
insulation, instant hot water system, compact fluorescent bulbs and
reflective metal roof, among other features.
Darren Brinkley, a former native of London, is also constructing a green
home in St. Petersburg. His home will have much of the same energy saving
devices as the Color Key model, but it will also use a solar water heater,
Structural Insulated Panels and a geothermal cooling system.
Both of these homes were recently highlighted in the St. Petersburg Times
newspaper (www.sptimes.com). The articles note that the Tampa Bay housing
industry is moving towards green homes in general.
The Tampa Bay Builders Association showcase homes for the past two years
were certified green. Also, a number of local builders have indicated they
are going to start building exclusively green homes in the future.
For those looking to invest in environmentally friendly homes and an
attractive year round location, the Tampa Bay area is a great place to look
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