We recently built a new home here on the Big Island of Hawaii.

We have done the following to help the environment:
1. Installed a passive solar hot water heating system on our roof that supplies us with all our
hot water needs.
2. Installed solar electric that puts electricity back into the grid.
3. Equiped the house with all LED lighting with the exception of 2-3 bulbs.
4. The construction of the house is such that we have a natural air flow. There are no ceiling fans or air conditioning in the house.
5. Two solar fans on the roof pull the warm air out of the house in the hottest part of the day.
6. Installed a catchment water system that catches water from our roof and stores it in a ten thousand gallon water tank. This system supplies us with all our water needs.

Before building our home, we hand cleared our one acre of jungle, eliminating invasive species and preserving and planting native species. In the clearing process, we used a chipper/shredder to create mulch and spread it on the jungle floor. My wife is a Master Gardener and uses nothing but organic materials on the property. We live in the last of the low land forest in all of Hawaii.