Saving the planet one house at a time
By Rick Catlin, The Islander
Island native Greg Ross has been in the custom-home building business on Anna Maria Island for the past five years and he’s always tried to build environmentally friendly single-family homes.
But his current effort will be the first house on Anna Maria Island to be officially certified as green by the Florida Green Building Coalition.
Construction of the house on 56th Street in Holmes Beach has been ongoing for several months, and Greg and the homeowner met in advance to work out the details of the green house.
“There are a number of factors that go into certification of a green house,” said Ross “it’s building a home that is more energy efficient, a house that will impact the environment less and a house that will last longer than a conventional home.”
To get the certification, the house must obtain 100 points under the FGBCs rating system.
“I’ve met several times with representatives of the coalition and Im confident well have the necessary points,” said Ross. “Everything in the house will be certified green,” he pledged.
Among the green items necessary to achieve the rating are cement-board sidings that are environmentally safe, use of an energy efficient air conditioning system that makes the inside air cleaner to breathe and uses less electricity, a metal roof that will last longer than a wood-frame roof, windows that meet FGBC standards, and energy efficient appliances such as a water heater that uses much less electricity than a conventional heater.
But building green is not just at the discretion of the contractor. The buyer also has to agree to the higher standards.
Ross said the owner of the home is a local doctor who agreed to have the house done green to lessen its overall impact on the environment. Although it might cost more in the short-term, for the long-term the house is much better for future residents of Holmes Beach and Anna Maria Island.
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