Apr 16 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Philip Morgan Tampa Tribune, Fla.

With just one house built, Darren Brinkley stands as the first green giant of Florida home construction.

His is the first "gold"-rated house in the state, so certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The 2,000-square-foot contemporary at 216 84th Ave. N.E., near Riviera Bay, uses 55 percent less power and 30 percent less water than a traditional house.

Recycled bathwater flushes the toilet. Wood scraps left over from the floors helped build the bathroom vanities.

He raised it on stilts above the flood level, so it requires no flood insurance, and he built it over the property's existing house, which was turned into a garage -- avoiding the waste of demolition.

Brinkley's tactics meant construction had a minimal impact on the environment: less trash to the landfill, fewer difficult-to-renew resources used. They also ensure the house will be as kind as possible to its surroundings over the course of its lifetime.

For that it got its LEED-certified gold medal; the acronym stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a voluntary program developed by the green council to improve buildings' impacts on the environment, people's health and the economy. Florida's second gold house was certified in Miami in March.

Building it mostly on his own over 10 months, Brinkley finished his four-bedroom, three-bath house in the fall. He planned to live in it with his family, but then decided instead to start REAL building. The company designs, plans and oversees construction of green homes, and the house on 84th Avenue is its model home.

He figures he'll sell it eventually. He says it's worth $549,000 but insists he can design environment-friendly homes for almost any budget.

"Everybody can build green."

The native of England says a lot of the features in his green house are standard in Europe, where space and energy costs are at a premium.

"With the fear of rising energy costs, it's going to be similar here."

Energy: The air-conditioning system makes cool air from the water running through 1,200 feet of pipe 6 feet underground, where the temperature is 72 to 75 degrees. As with many traditional systems, the geothermal system also produces hot water for showers.

The AC ran almost constantly during the warm month of November, Brinkley says, and the power bill was $53. He expects the average monthly bill to hover around $70.

On many days, he can open the house. Screen doors behind the glass doors allow air to circulate in rooms with 15- to 22-foot vaulted ceilings.

The light-colored metal roof reflects 85 percent of the heat energy from the sun. Foam insulation panels 8.5 inches thick, along with two vapor barriers and a heat barrier -- and the lack of an attic -block the rest of the heat.

"We have zero heat going through the roof -- absolutely zero," Brinkley says.

Wall insulation panels are 6.5 inches thick, and doors and windows are well-sealed.

Light and space: Open space and large windows invite lots of natural light, making the energy-saving, compact fluorescent lights unnecessary in the daytime.

In the late afternoon, the blond-colored, birch plywood ceiling panels help create a soothing glow, Brinkley says.

The CFLs in sconces light rooms at night, though a lamp is needed for reading. Recessed fixtures in the ceiling create light in the kitchen and breakfast bar.

Water: Both bathrooms are equipped with efficient shower heads and dual-flush toilets (above right), which can flush half the water or the full amount, 1.6 gallons per minute, as the situation requires. Used water from the shower and sink are recycled for use in flushing the toilets.

The air-conditioner dehumidifier drains into a backyard pond, keeping the fish happily oxygenated.

Brinkley plans to install a washer and dryer with 24-inch drums instead of the standard 27-inch. The dryer shouldn't get a lot of use -- an umbrella-shaped clothesline in the backyard is "the most energy-efficient clothes dryer on the market today," he says.

Materials: The decks and railings look like wood but are made from recycled wood and plastic. "It's a lot more durable and lasts a lot longer than regular wood."

Stains used on the wood and the foam in the insulation panels are soybean-based, so they don't give off a lot of harmful chemicals, Brinkley says. The floor is bamboo, a grass that can be replenished in five years as opposed to a hardwood's century.

Wood scraps from the floors were used to build the sides and doors of the bathroom vanities (below), saving those scraps from the Dumpster -- and landfill. A St. Petersburg company manufactured the sleek, black kitchen countertops (above) made from recycled glass.

Yard: A 1,000-gallon tank (left) collects the water from the gutter system; a quarter-inch of rain will almost fill it up, Brinkley says. He figures he can water his plants for about three weeks on one tank of rainwater.

The lot is landscaped with drought-resistant Bahia grass and native Florida plants.

Reporter Philip Morgan can be reached at (813) 259-7609 or pmorgan@tampatrib.com.