Photos: Green buildings for the rest of us

Here's last winter's stash. I just bought two tons of pellets for next year, which come in 40-pound bags, to get better prices.

A few years ago, there was a shortage of pellets that drove prices up and drove pellet stove customers, who couldn't find fuel, crazy. This year, the housing slump is putting a damper on sawdust production, making availability of fuel an issue. But there are a number of producers bringing pellet factories online, which should ease shortages in the future, according to the executive director of the Pellet Fuels Institute.

Needless to say, if you don't have room for storage or if you have a bad back, don't bother with pellet stoves. There's some labor required.