This is excerpted from a client's business website

"About Green Building

 Amelia Coastal Realty’s Office (see bottom of linked page) may not look like a gas station today but it is a former Brownfield site.  When Phil and Janet were searching for a building to house the new office there were no buildings that were new and energy efficient.  This former gas station became the perfect site for a test project to build an energy efficient building  using sustainable building practices.

Plans were submitted to the City of Fernandina Beach in early 2005.  Unfortunately local Ordinances were not written to allow sustainable building standards such as low water usage and on site water retention.  A local Green development expert and friend, Darryl Duffe, then designed the 1,500 square foot building and redeveloped the site to allow for on site water retention, low energy usage and at the same time enhance the street appeal as an office.  The former 100 feet of entrance for the gas station was narrowed to 16 feet.  500 square feet of impervious asphalt along the front of the parcel and planted with native species that required no water once bedded.  The parking lot was sloped to self water the plants and eliminate most site runoff.

The building itself was stripped down to one block wall and the footers.  Clean concrete and block debris were donated to local property owners with riverfront for use as erosion control material (rip rap).  The building was then reconstructed using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) and the roof system sealed with Icynene to further minimize heating and cooling.  Low voltage lighting, low VOC paints and other green products were installed to minimize green house gases and minimize energy costs.  Other features include solar lighting, low flush toilets, low voltage lighting and a high efficient HVAC system.  Monthly electric bills average $74 and water bills are less than $35.  Total utility usage on the 1,250 net square foot heated and cooled building is less than $1.05 per square foot per year." The annual electrical usage taken alone at $888 is less than $0.71 per square foot.

Phil Griffin, Fernandina Beach

"Darryl Duffe designed (and supervised construction of) my home listening for needs, creating functional and refreshing spaces, building 3-D computer models to test ideas, and using practical materials, to create a very energy efficient shelter for a family that recommends him with our whole hearts, full of gratitude."  

Keith Thomson, Asheville