Dozens of people in the Valley got a lesson on how to go green at a lecture offered by the historical society in Staunton Friday. Meanwhile a construction site in Harrisonburg is already building green.

"This site selection is very green in the sense that we're re-utilizing impervious site selection which was a car dealership," says Barry Kelley, a developer for Kelco Builders who is developing the site.

However, that's not all that's green. The space, which will soon hold 194 residential units, parking spaces and mixed commercial uses such as restaurants and office space, will also be built in a way that keeps heat from penetrating the building so people will use less electricity.

The site has also cleared other green specifications from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. One specifications requires that buildings be 60,000 square feet per acre. The Urban Exchange on East Market Street in Harrisonburg surpasses that at 100,000 feet per acre, along with other specifications.

"We're building a courtyard here which takes a lot of water that's running down into the streets and into the Chesapeake Bay. It limits the storm water runoff," says Kelley.

Meanwhile homeowners, architects, and other developers spent their afternoon learning more about the the LEED rating system, as well as how to save money and the environment.

Gary Hendricks, the architect that gave the presentation, says, "To me, what it means to go green is just doing construction right. Thinking holistically about the project and making good decisions."

Charles Hendrick says going green isn't necessarily more expensive, and he shares a very important tip for a green home.

"The most fundamental thing in an existing house that you can do is make sure you have proper insulation," says Hendrick.

There are a number of localities in the Valley that are offering tax breaks for those who choose to go green. On Friday, the Fireman Insurance Fund also started offering policy discounts for people who decide to build green if their home burns down.