Where I live I want to build one with the East side open to the light. Build it about 12-14' high with interior walls 8' high with glass from there on up so light can come over the top of the wall. Have a 2' drop down ceiling so you can run lights, a forced air system for better ventilation and dehumidifier but hidden above the drop ceiling. Use florescent or LED lights on a 12 volt system. On the East side plant decidous trees for sun in winter but shade in summer. In our area tornadoes always run from SW to NE, that side will be covered with dirt. Cold winds are from north and NW so that side is covered. Summers are hot so south and west sides are covered. Your largest users of energy is Heat, Water Heat, and Air Conditioning. Followed by dryer, cooking, refrigerators and freezers, then washers, and smaller appliances like TV's and computers. You can usually do without air conditioning if you have fans and shade, but you can't do without heat, and having a hot shower is nice. You also must cook. Another thing is capture your washing machine water in at least two 55 gallon plastic drums. Go through one to catch most lint, etc, then into the second one. Put a pump in the second drum to pump water to your toilets, flushing with the gray water. Toilets use about 1/3 of your water while the washing machine uses another 1/3. Basically you cut you water bill by 1/3 or your water usage by 1/3. You can have a ball cock valve with fresh water connected (not directly just flowing into) the second drum in case you don't wash enough clothes to have water for flushing. You can add solar-battery arrays to your power sysem as you can afford them and link them together as you buy new ones. You can also build your own solar heat and water heating sysem with pipe plywood and glass. Inside painted black to absorb heat.
