The obvious ones are: latex-based floor finishes and paints, electric stove and dryer instead of gas, solid wood cabinetry as much as possible, bio-based water-blown foam insulation, no carpeting.

focusing on interior finishes is only part of the equation. To build green, you touch all parts of the building, from the structure to the hvac and water systems. It all starts with the proper shell for your area and building efficient. Super tight and efficient construction will give you greater control over the indoor air qualities. After that, move to your HVAC systems and use air filters, ERVs, and other items such as humidifiers or dehumidifiers to clean interior air quality, while reducing energy usage at the same time. Then obviously select products with min. off gasing, as listed above.

The first place to start thinking green is with your square footage. A smaller home requires less materials to build and consumes less energy to maintain. It won't necessarily price out at that much less to build, and in fact will cost more per square foot, but there is a difference between price and cost.

The second place to start thinking green is with home siting and passive solar energy details. A deep overhang that shields your windows from direct sun in the summer but allows the lower angle of the winter sun to stream in is one detail. There are plenty of others that you can incorporate into your home design based on your home's orientation. These details will cost you nothing or very little extra during construction but will pay you dividends for the life of the home.

One of the easiest "alternative" details to use in green thinking construction is solar water heating. You can use it in conjunction with a tankless system or tanked system. It has a pretty quick payback feature compared to many other green energy home production usage such as solar panels.