The process of green building incorporates environmental considerations into every phase of the home building process.  That means that during the design, construction, and operation of a home, energy and water efficient, lot development, resource efficient building design and materials, indoor environmental quality, homeowner maintenance, and the home’s overall impact on the environment are all taken into account. Green buildings are sited, designed, constructed, and operated to enhance the well being of their occupants and support a healthy community and natural environment.
In practical terms, green building is a whole-systems-approach to building that includes:

1. Designing for livable communities
2. Using sun and site to the building's advantage for natural heating, cooling, and daylight

-Landscaping with native, drought-resistant plants and water-efficient practices

1. Building quality, durable structures
2. Reducing and recycling construction and demolition waste
3. Insulating well and ventilating appropriately
4. Incorporating durable,salvaged, recycled, and sustainably harvested materials
5. Using healthy products and building practices
6. Using energy-efficient and water-saving appliances, fixtures and technologies

The goal of green building is not to squeeze energy-efficiency features into a tight development budget. The goal, rather, is to analyze such interconnected issues as site and building design, energy and water efficiency, resource-efficient construction, lighting and mechanical design, and optimize all these aspects in an integrated design. Features that might have higher individual costs may actually reduce the whole building cost because other elements such as heating system can be downsized or eliminated. In order to capture these multiple benefits the house must be evaluated as a whole, not item by item.
Green building is much more than reducing a home's environmental footprint. Homeowners can also realize direct benefits by owning a green home including:

1. Lower operating costs - Homeowners receive less expensive utility bills because of energy and water efficiency measures.
2. Increased comfort - Green homes have relatively even temperatures throughout the home, with fewer drafts and better humidity control.
3. Improved environmental quality - By following the guidelines, builders pay extra attention to construction details that control moisture, choose materials that contain fewer chemicals, and design air exchange/filtration systems that can contribute to a healthier indoor environment.

Enhanced durability and less maintenance - Green homes incorporate building materials and construction details that strive to increase the useful life of the individual components and the whole house. Longer lasting materials not only require fewer resources for replacement but also reduce maintenance and repair costs. Green homes have lawns that require less weeding and watering,building elements that require less maintenance, and more durable building components that reduce the time needed for upkeep.
Green building is a design and construction approach that creates high-performing, healthy homes and communities. To help owners, developers, designers, builders, and remodelers build green successfully and cost-effectively, policies should...
Process makes the difference, but building green also boils down to a set of best practices. For new construction, building orientation to take advantage of sun and wind, efficient space planning, appropriate systems selection and sizing, and tight building envelopes are the foundation of these best practices. Through integrated design, you can lower both initial and long-term operating costs. For rehab projects, evaluate the building systems to identify cost-effective opportunities to make improvements. Look to optimize whole building performance by coordinating window replacement with an upgrade to a high-efficiency, right-sized mechanical system, for example. Energy efficient appliances and HVAC systems, water saving devices and landscaping, and use of nontoxic materials improve residents' lives, as will a site design that encourages connections to the community. And when you eliminate waste through recycling, purchase materials from local sources, and minimize stormwater runoff, your green building will step toward sustainability, treading lightly on its surrounding environment and the planet.