ABSTRACT
A sustainable building is holistic, conceived with its whole life in mind. The effectiveness of its environmental design qualities, as well as its environmental impacts, can be examined during the design stages. The environment in which we live constitutes not only our immediate surroundings; it is important to remember that it exists simultaneously at a global, local and a building-interior scale. Since the year 2000, for the first time in the history of humanity more of us live in cities than live in rural locations. This trend will continue, increasing stresses on our urban environments, on people and on the planet. Buildings are responsible for half of all human-generated greenhouse gases, but half of the remainder derives from the transportation of people and products between buildings and within and around cities. The decision to go off-grid might be driven by the desire to save money, to reduce dependence on institutions and governments or, sometimes, to reduce carbon footprint.
