This book has a lot of great ideas, however it has a very strong bias in certain areas such as wind energy being very poor cost efficient method of energy production. It goes in to depth about solar panels and offers alot of great ideas for cheap energy efficient housing ideas way above and beyond the average methods.

I have a number of the Dummies books on various topics, and had an interest in how one might "green" an existing home, or build a new one. One thing I learned recently is that 50% of the energy lost from a typical house is due to poor building insulation, and that's one area in which most houses, depending on where in the U.S. they're built, could be improved. Since we wanted to beef up our house's insulation, we had a type of insulation installed that was more green than the other choices, and that is equally effective. If you're building a house from scratch, this book has a lot more information on many other topics relating to green building, including materials, construction, design ideas, energy saving tips and ideas, and many more topics on the subject.

Interestingly, since I was interested in insulation, I just turned up this information on insulation principles from a German website on all the details relating to that, in case this help anyone else:

Occupational skills

Thermal and noise insulation fitters carry out their work on the basis of technical documents and job orders, both independently and in cooperation with others. They plan and coordinate their work, consult and coordinate with others working on the site, set up construction sites and take the measures required for smooth-running operations, for health and safety at work and to protect the environment at the job site. They check their work to ensure error-free execution, document their work, carry out quality assurance measures, calculate job performance data and hand the vacated job site on.

When carrying out the following activities, thermal and noise insulation fitters use plant and machinery, they erect and dismantle scaffolding for work, protection and support purposes and measure constructions and elements thereof for proper fit.

Thermal and noise insulation fitters
* process materials to protect surfaces, for example steel and non-ferrous sheeting and synthetics,
* build and mount supporting and load-bearing constructions,
* build models of fittings,
* prepare elevations and developed views from templates for simple and complex fittings,
* measure up system components and prepare isometric projections,
* check site conditions for insulation purposes and select appropriate insulation materials,
* build mattressing from insulating materials,
* apply materials to insulate against heat, cold, noise and fire,
* craft and fit parts and fittings,
* coat insulation systems with sheet metal, foil, sheeting, wrapping and hard plastic coatings and fittings,
* build and fit inner linings for cooling chambers,
* build construction elements using dry construction techniques,
* check insulation systems and assess their efficiency,
* identify damage in connection with rehabilitation and refurbishment projects, determine the cause of the damage and carry out the corresponding rehabilitation and refurbishment measures.

Additionally, thermal and noise insulation fitters carry out related tasks in the field of building construction.

Green architect Eric Corey Freed knows his stuff and it shows in Green Building and Remodeling for Dummies.

Freed makes green building and remodeling approachable and very doable.

I like the checklists throughout the book and the perfect green rooms, both of which make understanding the big picture easy.

Freed does an excellent job in explaining the advantages of building green for the health of the occupants and the environment.

If you've ever wondered what the true environmental cost of a particular product is, Freed does a great job of explaining it in "the life cycle of materials from cradle to grave." If you didn't "get" greeen before, this section will show you how important it is to look at the entire life cycle of a product to determine how green--or not--a particular product is.

I also liked the handy list of green material substitutes which make purchasing very easy.

The book was very readable and concise and even fun to read. I highly recommend it.

By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet

This book gives a great overview of various green building options for homes. It has a lot of practical and useful information for the beginner or even the advanced green building enthusiast. It also contains a really helpful list of resources for further research. I would have liked a little more information on solar and geothermal, but the book isn't designed to give thoroughly detailed information about every option. I would highly recommend this book.

Great info. in an easy to read format. Really enjoyed learning about different products and solutions.

I am truly a dummy when it comes to green building, I've never bought a dummies book before - but wanted to remodel my kitchen and needed some expert green advice. The book is broken down into these really helpful sections like finishes, water and energy. It even includes helpful checklists to remodel your kitchen in a green way. The advice I learned from this book will probably save me thousands in construction costs and will continue to save me $$$ on my water and energy bills. The author presents the info in a very fun and logical way. Anyone building or remodeling their home should do it green - and definitely needs this book to guide them every step of the way. The reason I bought this book is that I heard the author speak at a local green conference, and the way he presented the information just made sense to me.

I am truly a dummy when it comes to green building, I've never bought a dummies book before - but wanted to remodel my kitchen and needed some expert green advice. The book is broken down into these really helpful sections like finishes, water and energy. It even includes helpful checklists to remodel your kitchen in a green way. The advice I learned from this book will probably save me thousands in construction costs and will continue to save me $$$ on my water and energy bills. The author presents the info in a very fun and logical way. Anyone building or remodeling their home should do it green - and definitely needs this book to guide them every step of the way. The reason I bought this book is that I heard the author speak at a local green conference, and the way he presented the information just made sense to me.