Friday's Photos - San Francisco Eco Idea House

Most "green" homes are located far from city centers. In San Francisco, limited land availability and notorious red tape can make it especially hard to build with sustainable materials and renewable sources of energy. However, Robin Wilson's zero-net-energy home, in the heart of one of city's oldest neighborhoods, is lauded as one of the world's "greenest" residences. Nicknamed La Casa Verde, this Mission District dwelling gets power from the sun and wind, and was built with a laundry list of eco-friendly materials. It's one of the first U.S. homes to achieve certification through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ratings. Outside, an ECO Paver permeable sidewalk allows rainwater to seep into the ground instead of flowing into sewer systems. The two-car garage includes a natural gas pump. The Skystream wind turbine from Southwest Windpower provides up to half of the home's energy. The backyard includes 4,000-gallon cisterns to collect rainwater, which flows into the home's toilets and laundry machine and could conserve as much as 21,000 gallons every year, according to the owner. Another system takes used, gray water from everything but the toilets for irrigation. And an intelligent irrigation system takes local weather data and soil conditions into consideration to deliver water when it's needed. A walkway along most of the upper level provides views of the neighborhood and the hills beyond. Some of the decking uses Trex, a composite of wood and recycled plastic. The walls contain soy-based spray foam insulation. Paints are low in toxic, volatile organic compounds that can pollute indoor air. Every appliance in the home meets Energy Star standards. Cabinetry uses no-added formaldehyde, recycled-wood fiberboard. Kitchen countertops include rice hulls, which would otherwise go to a landfill. There are also countertops of recycled glass vodka bottles. Drinking water is purified by an oxidizing filtration system.