Building a Sustainable Home: Practical Green Design Choices for Your Health, Wealth, and Soul Paperback – Illustrated, August 21, 2018

First off, this book is fantastic! You should definitely get it because it is a great jumping off point and will get you a decent education in a variety of topics in sustainable design. That said there were some glaring issues in the HVAC section and some smaller issues in other sections. There's also quite a few upper bound statistics which are not useful for the general case and makes for a biased argument (heating hot water can be up to 40% of a home's energy consumption... maybe if you're in a temperate climate so your HVAC is never on, but not for most of us). The only other issue I had was that the book is centered around LEED standards rather than simply about sustainable design. While these topics are highly correlated, I'm not personaly interested in going through the LEED process, so the point discussion was somewhat boring to me.What's good:* Thorough discussion and comparisons of almost every aspect of sustainable design.* Interesting writing style, a good mix of story-telling and factual statements.* Great images and graphs.Most of this issues I had were in the HVAC section because it's what I know most about (it makes me concerned that I missed issues in chapters that I'm less familiar with):* "In the hot summer months, think about how hard that outdoor air-conditioning compressor has to work to bring in 90-100 degree air and cool it down" - This is NOT how an AC unit works. It does NOT bring in air from the outdoors. It does NOT cool outdoor air. It only uses outdoor air for heat transfer from the radiators to bring the coolant down to condensing temperatures. This is actually analogous to what a ground source heat pump does, although it does so much more efficiently.* "The efficiency ratio of a ground-source heat pump is 3:1 - which means that you should be using about one third of the energy to heat and cool your home. (Nothing else can have more than a 1:1 efficiency ratio.)" - This is also incorrect. Air source heat pumps and traditional air conditioners can have greater than a 1:1 efficiency ratio. In fact, any appliance that relocates heat rather than generates heat directly can and often do have greater than a 1:1 efficiency ratio.* AC systems require annual repairs and maintenance - I guess this is technically true, but adding a cover and leaf blowing my compressor is hardly what I'd consider arduous. This is mentioned prior to the admission that their heat pump has required significant maintenance.Other issues:* Only one mention of thermal bridging and no discussion of mitigation strategies. I'd love more discussion of composite materials and alternative framing strategies.* No discussion of hybrid water heaters. This is likely due to the author living in a cold climate where the waste cold air would be parasitic to the heating system, but they're amazing in temperate or warm climates.* The discussion of appliances is left to Energy Star ratings. I think it's worth mentioning the advent of heatpump based dryers and dishwashers which are incredibly efficient. The former is so efficient that a full sized dryer can run on a standard 110v outlet, with the side benefit that it doesn't pump conditioned air out of your house.* She has a ground source heat pump AND an air source heat pump, but doesn't adequately explain why. A well configured GSHP should be able to have an air based heat exchanger and a liquid to liquid heat exchanger in separate loops.I know this review is harsh, but 5 stars and the good parts speak for themselves!

I don't usually do this, but I got home at 6:00 and read until it was finished - way past my bed time. Finished the book in one sitting. Nicely written from her perspective and she shares what she learned (whether she went in a particular direction or another). Very much appreciated the format as it was very realistic (what will I be bothered to do and what I won't be), detailed but not in the weeds, and I like the main goals she lists of sustainability - for your health, your wealth, and your soul. Her priorities are mine and that helped. I want to do better, but I also realize that I'm not perfect and will probably not do some of the things required for certain sustainable choices. Being realistic and honest with yourself ensures that you commit to what you can sustain - this ensures that you make the right choice for yourself. Every chapter was useful and down to earth. If you do this for a living, this book is not for you. If you are trying to educate yourself, then this is a great start. I know what specifics to provide my contractor and what to discuss with subs. I also know what I want to learn more about. Invaluable. Thank you for taking the time to share everything!

No matter where you see yourself on the spectrum of "going green," this book will provide you with high value guidance to reach your goals - no matter how small or big they are. The author lays out all aspects of being green into categories of Health, Wealth and Soul. You can find your passion within those, or, approach the book through the very practical lens she provides of looking at anything from household products to habits in your home (take your shoes off!) to structural design decisions if you are in the midst of, or contemplating, building a home and you want to consider being more green. Not only is this a good read initially, but it is one you will want to keep within arms reach over the years as your home and lifestyle evolve.