Energy efficiency and building size

Building residential options that use less energy is achieved most effectively by building smaller square footage units and filling in vacant urban space (aka urban infill).

Building green is achieved by creating a built environment that facilities a lifestyle in which the people who use the structure demand less energy and consumption as a result of using that structure. Building green means more than buying “green” products and materials.

Living in small spaces vs large spaces, and living in urban infill vs. living in exurban sprawl, help significantly reduce an individual’s energy and carbon footprint. These two variables induce a more significant change in energy used per capita (ie. green house gas emissions per capita), than any other variable in the built environment.

About Kol Peterson

Kol is an ADU consultant, advocate and author of Backdoor Revolution: The Definitive Guide to ADU Development. Read more here: AccessoryDwellingStrategies.com and learn about building your own at BuildingAnADU.com. Email at Kol@accessorydwellingstrategies.com

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