1. Inconspicuously green: A very traditional home can become energy- and resource-efficient. When this house in Washington, D.C. was built in the 1950s, most of its windows got direct sun. But then it was remodeled to better suit D.C.’s steamy summers. The porch columns are not chemically treated to repel rot or harvested from some far-off rain forest. Instead, they’re made from the naturally rot-resistant trunks of Eastern Red Cedar trees grown nearby.

2. The Eaves: A roof should overhang walls by at least one foot. That keeps the sun off windows and exteriors, which helps the house stay cool in summer. It also protects siding from the weather, meaning you may be able to go twice as long between repaintings or re-sidings.

3. Reuse and remodel: The house you fix up will probably be much greener than anything you build in its place, no matter how cutting edge the new design or how much recycled material you use. Sure, some old houses just can’t be saved. But even a building with serious problems can give you plenty to work with.

4. Size Matters: Fight the urge to go big and high. Not only is a smaller, well-proportioned house easier to heat and to cool, but you’ll need to buy less furniture to feel at home in it.

5. Use renewable energy: Let’s just say you probably won’t be installing a wind turbine in your backyard anytime soon. Even if the homeowners association didn’t come after you with torches and pitchforks, the truth is most places aren’t breezy enough.

The Sun
A solar water-heating system can reduce the fossil fuel you’ll need for showering and washing clothes. Before installing one, determine whether you have a sunny enough location to recoup the up-front costs, which can range from $3,000 to $8,000.

6. Get a zone defense: Thermostats have become as smart as your iPod. You can program them to respond to your use patterns, cutting your energy bills by nearly 10%, according to data from Energy Star, a government program that sets efficiency standards.

7. Insulate your home: Upgrading the insulation in your home – including caulking and weather-stripping around windows and doors – can cut your heating bills by as much as 20%. (To learn how to do a home energy audit and find leaks.

8. ventilate and circulate: The key to keeping cool in the summer without cranking the air conditioning is to force warm air out of your house as quickly as possible and to have air constantly moving over your skin.

9. Windows in the right places: You can benefit from the most old-fashioned kind of solar power simply by putting windows in the right places. In the northern part of the country, a house with most of its windows facing south will collect more light – and therefore more heat – in the winter. (You’ll also be able to keep the lightbulbs off until late in the day.)

10. Adding up the bill: If you’re building from scratch, good design can get you a long way toward green. But for the most sustainable home, you’ll also want to shell out some extra bucks for the right materials and appliances.

@ CNN Money

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