Imagine a house warmed by the sun and insulated with recycled newsprint, with mirrored "solar tubes" bringing light to dark corners.

Proponents of environmentally friendly construction say this is the future, yet American homeowners balk at the upfront cost, despite the payoff of lower energy costs over time.

Yet in the face of soaring energy costs and signs of a warming climate, houses are becoming — if anything — less energy-efficient (consider the power-hungry entertainment in the enormous "great room").

Architect Rick Alfandre says he understands. "Building a house is expensive, period, let alone doing things to it," he says. "You have to weigh what's important to you."

asap visited Alfandre and his family at their environmental gem of a home in New York's Hudson Valley to figure out: How much green construction is practical — and how much is for show?

1) Lighting

Energy efficient light bulbs, once considered unsightly, have become commonplace, and more and more lighting fixtures accommodate them. Switching from incandescent to more expensive compact fluorescent bulbs makes simple economic sense, proponents say, because fluorescents last 10 times longer and use 75 percent less energy.

2) Appliances

Using Energy Star appliances lowers the power bill "because appliances are your biggest energy users in your home," Alfandre says. "It's a no-brainer." He advocates buying the highest efficiency refrigerator, washer-dryer, dishwasher and so on — that you can.

3) Solar panels

A solar hot water system costs about $10,000, and advocates say it will save on energy costs in the long run. The jury is out, though, on whether solar panels raise the resale value of one's home since it's a matter of individual preference. Alfandre says all the hot water in his house is heated only by the sun at least six months of the year.

4) Windows

Big windows provide passive solar energy — that is, natural light during sunny days. "It warms the house, it warms the heart," Alfandre says. To retain heat in winter and cooling in summer, green builders reach for triple-glazed windows, which have three layers of glass. They cost 30 percent more than ordinary windows, or about $200 to $260 each, he says.

5) Walls

The key to an energy efficient home is insulation, insulation, insulation. Even Alfandre's basement is insulated. He built his walls 8 feet thick, compared to about 5 1/2 feet for an ordinary house, and used a cellulose insulation made from recycled newsprint. Walls are painted with nontoxic, low-emitting paint, which doesn't release chemicals into the air.

6) Solar tubes

Reflective "solar tubes" bring daylight into the interior of the home from a dome on the roof, cutting down the need for artificial light. Alfandre says they can be installed in any home. The cost: About $500 for materials and labor.

7) Ventilation system

As the insulation on a house becomes tighter, a ventilation system is needed to bring fresh air in and send stale air out. A whole house fan costs $1,500 to $2,000 to install.

8) Chimney

The focal point of Alfandre's house is the chimney, or "thermal storage device," as he calls it. Wood from the property provides fuel for heat in winter, and the concrete is cool to the touch in summer. It's also the emotional heart of the home.

9) Floors with radiant heat

Tubes of heated water beneath the floors provide radiant heat. Alfandre says this feature has more to do with comfort that cost savings, since it's about 25 more expensive than baseboard heating. "A lot of decisions that we make have nothing to do with payback," he says. And to him, living in an environmentally friendly house is like buying a Mercedes instead of a Ford — you get what you pay for.

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