[Seahawk]

Dan,

A few other ideas:

- Rain water cisterns. There are some really simple two and three hundred gallon systems that capture rain water for lawn/plant use. Very easy install and they can be hidden.

- Look at supplemental wood stoves that can heat your whole house. While not exactly, "green", they do save lots of money on heating bills. They work very well at night...you can bank enough wood for the night.
A friend of mine gets his wood for free by hitting construction sites, Craigslist, etc. Have Stihl will travel...his heating bill, sans cost of his modern stove, gas for his truck and his time, less than $20 scooters a month. He gets most of his wood local.

- Insulation and fans, attic and ceiling. There is no cheaper energy savings.

- Basements are incredibly efficient spaces for energy consumption. Make sure if you build and include a basement you can channel water without power. Ask me how I know.

- Use power strips for modern electronics so you can turn them off at night. Most modern electronics draw measurablef power even when they are off.

- Windows. If you build, pay a premium for the best R rating you can get. Make sure the installer understands how to seal on install.

Best of luck!