Loading...

Thirteen Elements of a Dream Green Home [Infographic]

Got a dream green home you’d love to build? Sure, you’ll probably want to include solar panels in the building… but that’s just one element. Green building involves making the most efficient use of the materials that go into the building, and creating a space that allows for sustainable use of resources needed to live in that home… so, energy efficiency is important, but so is water use, air quality, and the relationship of the landscaping to the larger surrounding environment.

If you’re thinking about building green, keep this infographic nearby, as it covers thirteen elements that you’ll want to consider in the design and construction of your home. Also keep in mind that this list isn’t definitive; it does, however, demonstrate well that building green involves big-picture thinking beyond “Hey, let’s put solar panels up.”

Got things you’d like to see added to this list? Tell us about them in the comments. And if you need a larger version of the infographic, just click on it…

how to build your green home infographic

Infographic credit:Β DJ Miller is an avid writer and graphic designer from Tampa, Florida. He is an environmental tech enthusiast that covers everything from solar panels to cisterns. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @MillerHeWrote.

10 comments
  1. Diane C

    I’d like to add that if you live where you get snow, choose a home that has a driveway facing south to minimize shadows that deter melting. Of course, only a quarter of people do but it would be to your benefit if you’re looking in the northern areas.

  2. Andrea Lemon

    Frankly, this is the kind of list that the professional green building community makes fun of. For example, it doesn’t mention air sealing, which is probably the most important thing you can do. It also says “Insulate the home properly,” which is incredibly vague. Code minimum is not sufficient insulation, and fiberglass batts are almost never installed correctly.

    If you’re serious about building green, read Martin Holladay’s list at GreenBuildingAdvisor instead: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/green-building-beginners

  3. Andree Michler

    #2 and #3 diametrically opposed. If your just talking indoor air quality then it goes well beyond paints and cabinets. Id would like to suggest a #1 is location. Green sprawl is another inherent contradiction. Not to tear this apart but ‘green’ design is not a list nor is it prescriptive, that leads to mediocre results more times than not.

  4. Martin

    The infographic seems to address mostly south areas of the US and that should be noted somewhere below all the pictures. It’s not as universal as it tries to look.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *