Are you sure you're in the right forum? It seems to me that the keywords here would tend to be more along the lines of "renewable," "sustainable," "efficient," and "economical."

I'll have to admit, though, that here in the energy-guzzling USA, a home that all the above keywords apply to would probably be considered quirky.

Thank you! You're right--I forgot to add "solar." The house faces north, so the south-facing side would be ideal for solar panels. I'm just hesitant because of the expense, but none of this would be cheap.

> I'm just hesitant because of the expense ...

Just think of it as paying 7-10 years' worth of your electric bill in advance.
Once you hit that payback threshold, the energy your system generates is
effectively free.

Another way to view it is that buying utility power is analogous to renting your house. When you're done paying, all you have is a stack of paid bills. OTOH, installing your own PV system is like owning a house. When you're done paying, you have energy.

That's a great analogy, and it gives me a number to think about!