It starts with where you put it. (The importance of lot selection in green building.)

Your first choice when building a green home should be an obvious one. Where do we put the house? This a pretty straight forward; don't put your home in an environmentally sensitive area. Environmentally sensitive areas are typically defined by a local jurisdiction, wetland institute, etc. You can also verify this with architects, ecologists, wildlife biologists, and other professionals who track such things in your area. This is a "no-brainer" for most new homes as most jurisdictions won't let you build in these areas anyway.

There are other green ideals to consider when selecting your property. Time for new words related to land. They are infill, greyfield, and brownfield. In a nutshell, these lots involve building in an established neighborhood where a lot was abandoned, tearing down an existing structure to rebuild, or building on property that was previously used for commercial (non agricultural) uses.

Also consider choosing a site with a southern exposure so you can maximize solar gain for a heating source during the winter, and consider a site where you can preserve the natural vegitation of the site, and minimize erosion. Next up: Resource Efficiency