Before designing or remodeling a home, consider energy-efficient design strategies. You'll save energy and money in the long run.
If you'd like to design an energy-efficient home, no matter what type of design, you should use what's called the whole-house systems approach. This approach considers the house as an energy system with interdependent parts, each of which affects the performance of the entire system. It also takes the occupants, site, and local climate into consideration.
If you're remodeling a home, conduct an energy audit to help you determine what energy efficiency improvements can be made to your home.