Last week in Tallahassee, less than an hour into what was supposed to be a four-day special legislative session, House Speaker Larry Cretul called it a day, closing shop before legislators could begin debating whether to put a constitutional amendment banning near-shore drilling in state waters on this November’s ballot.
Among the legislators most disappointed to be returning to his home district prematurely was the man who called for the session in the first place — former St. Petersburg City Council member and current House Democrat Rick Kriseman. He said of the aborted session, “I think it was really insulting to the voters of the state of the Florida, who overwhelmingly have expressed their desire to have a say in this issue.”
Kriseman, along with two other Democrats (Sarasota Representative Keith Fitzgerald and Miami Beach state Senator Dan Gelber) introduced the idea of a ban two weeks after the Deepwater Horizon accident began hemorrhaging oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
Though clearly unsatisfied with what happened (or didn’t happen) in Tallahassee, Kriseman’s not giving up his efforts to bring Florida into the 21st century when it comes to making the state more energy-efficient. After being elected to the state House in 2006, he was named ranking Democrat on the Committee on Energy. In both 2009 and earlier this year, he filed legislation calling for a renewable portfolio standard that would mandate that public utilities in the state generate or procure a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable resources.
So Kriseman hardly needed to prove his environmental bona fides two summers ago when he was faced with the prospect of having to rebuild his family home after it was destroyed by fire. But he and wife Kerry decided to make their new home as energy-efficient as possible — an effort so successful that they are now anticipating receiving LEED Gold certification, the second highest level achievable.
They began by bringing their architect and designer together with Darren Brinkley, whose REAL Building Group in St. Pete specializes in green building.
Last week, CL got a tour of the now year-old house. First, Kriseman unveiled a ladder trap to the spacious attic, which the lawmaker boasts is cooler than it should be because of its soy-based spray foam insulation. After the climb, Kriseman discussed how the attic area and the rest of the house are filled with insulated concrete block to build up thermal resistance (the central air conditioning unit has a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (or SEER) of 19, compared to the average rating of 13). And he pointed out a purple pipe in the attic for distribution of rainwater, which is used to flush the toilets and to run the washer and dryer — a system unique in St. Petersburg.
Downstairs, the living room features a gas amber fireplace, which the Krisemans used extensively during the record cold this past winter. In the kitchen, there’s a gas grill and an ingenious hot water faucet. Press a button above the sink, wait 15 to 20 seconds, turn on the faucet: Instant hot water! Men, think about that as you waste water while waiting for it to get warm enough to prepare your face before shaving.
All of the appliances and electronic devices are Energy Star rated. Energy Star is an international standard for energy-efficient products created in this country during the Clinton administration.
The house also boasts energy-efficient windows, high-impact and double-insulated so they’re hurricane-ready. Kriseman says that going green serves a dual purpose, not only saving energy but hardening the home against potentially radical storms.
Before we leave the air-conditioned comforts of the Kriseman kitchen and living room, I ask the state House Democrat a central question: How much more did it cost him to go green? It’s a question that hangs over so much about the energy debate in our country. One reason the U.S. is so addicted to coal and oil is because they’re relatively cheap resources, whereas alternative forms of energy can seem costly in comparison.
The state Representative says there’s a big difference between retrofitting energy-efficient features into an existing house and implementing them via new construction. “I’d say we spent 15 to 20 percent more by doing the green, but we did get federal tax savings for the solar water heater.”
He didn’t get any state tax breaks, however. That’s because funds from the Florida Solar Rebate Program ran out last year, leaving thousands of homeowners and businesses that have installed such systems out of luck. And there were also the weird results from the passage of Amendment 3 in 2008. That constitutional amendment was designed to promote renewable energy, but at the same time repealed state tax breaks for renewable energy and wind-resistant projects. (A bill filed this year by New Port Richey state Senator Mike Fasano was intended to change that, but did not gain approval.)
The green initiatives at Rep. Kriseman’s house extend beyond the interior. The small swimming pool in the back yard is filled from two 500-gallon water tanks with a special outlet to capture rainwater, used instead of potable water. Next to them is a filtration system with three back-flow prevention devices, necessary to prevent untreated water from flowing back into the city’s water pipes.
Kriseman also uses reclaimed water for irrigation purposes. (The city’s reclaimed system was the first to be built in the U.S., and remains one of the largest, but in 2010 not every city resident can gain access to it.) His front lawn features Florida-friendly drought-tolerant landscaping.
I ask Rep. Kriseman what suggestions he has for the average Florida homeowner trying to make a house greener. He says the easiest thing is to switch out your light bulbs for CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) that are extremely inexpensive and he says “last forever.” He also advocates using sensors to dim light and ceiling fans, a great way to circulate the air and reduce power costs.
And he emphasizes well-insulated windows, which not only result in a reduction in your power bill, but also help with homeowner insurance costs. “We’ve increased our coverage and decreased our costs by two thirds,” the House Democrat says.
Kriseman’s commitment to his home shows that everybody can do something extra to make their homes more energy efficient. Now he just needs more allies in Tallahassee to get the rest of the state to follow suit.
This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2010.
