Imagine a community that offers an environment that builds lasting relationships among neighbors. It's a development that encourages interaction through screened front patios, a common green and a walking trail system.

Now imagine that the homes in this village all use energy that they produce.

"It's getting back to basics," said builder Vickie Anderson. "It's figuring out what you really need for a quality life."

The concept is called an "ecovillage." And while there isn't one in the works in Frisco just yet, a concept home does exist.

On Beacon Hill Road sits a 3,800-square-foot "zero energy" home. The house is running 60 percent below the average home's energy use, costing less than $1,000 per year to heat and cool.

Ms. Anderson and Jim Sargent built the home in 2004, and it received national recognition. The home was recently opened to the public to encourage buyers and builders alike to learn about energy efficiency.

The ecovillage concept won't be accepted by all. "Green" homes can be quite expensive, running upward of a million dollars. And it's not a good fit for those who want super-sized homes. And forget garages.

Energy is also wasted on lawn care and swimming pools. Space for large game and media rooms also takes energy. An ecovillage offers all these amenities as community property, similar to an apartment complex with its clubhouse, pool and parking lots.

"In heating and cooling a 2,500-square-foot home that isn't built with energy efficiency in mind, you are going to waste a lot of precious energy," said Mr. Sargent, a local builder since 1970.

Consumers spend an average of $100,000 more on green homes, and they save up to $500 a month on energy.

Mr. Sargent and Ms. Anderson are building their first ecovillage in Ellis County. Construction on the seven clusters of 30 homes each is set to begin in the spring.

"Anybody can build a house," said Ms. Anderson, who has been building homes for 20 years. "If we don't make changes, what we're leaving our kids are more problems."

The duo has been interested in building green homes since the 1970s. But few builders took to it.

"I was creating gas-guzzling homes and nobody cared," Mr. Sargent said. "The strategies for building are easy now, but the construction period takes passion. And that's not so easy to find."

Mr. Sargent, recognized as a master builder by the Energy & Environmental Building Association, said the time has come when more people understand the urgency of protecting the environment and resources. He hopes builders will take note and start producing environmentally friendly homes.

"We are a large industry made up of [mostly] small builders. Industry wide changes under these conditions are difficult," Mr. Sargent said.

Mikki Kirby is a Dallas freelance writer.