Skip to main content

Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 51 - 100 of 131

ENERGY STAR New Homes and Apartments

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
U.S. EPA
Publication Date
Webpage with links to documents providing the program requirements and checklists for ENERGY STAR Certification of New Single-Family Homes, Muti-Family Buildings, and Manufactured Homes.

ENERGY STAR NextGen Program Requirements

Author(s)
US Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
U.S. EPA
Publication Date
ENERGY STAR website outlining the program requirements for NextGen, an EPA initiative aimed at advancing energy efficiency in residential construction.

ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA
Publication Date
Website for finding rebates and special offers near you on ENERGY STAR certified products. Products that earn the ENERGY STAR label meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. EPA helping you save energy and money while protecting the environment.

ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Program Requirements

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Website showing compliance timelines for various versions of the ENERGY STAR Single-Family New Home program requirements with links to national program requirements documents and checklists.

ENERGY STAR Single-Family New Homes

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Webpage with links to documents providing the program requirements and checklists for ENERGY STAR Certified Single-Family New Homes.

ENERGY STAR® Certified Heat Pump Water Heaters Sales Guide

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA
Publication Date
Informational guide describing the benefits, functionality, and cost savings of ENERGY STAR® certified heat pump water heaters, addressing common misconceptions and highlighting incentives.

EPA Clean Air Act Section 608: Stationary Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
U.S. EPA
Publication Date
Section 608 establishes EPA’s National Recycling and Emission Reduction Program designed to reduce emissions related to maintaining, servicing, repairing, and disposing of air conditioning or refrigeration equipment.

Erosion Control Blanket Construction Guidance Checklist

Author(s)
Mile High Flood District
Organization(s)
MHFD
Publication Date
Guidance documents describing Erosion Control Blankets (ECBs) use as a construction material that provides temporary cover and support for establishing vegetation on bare soil. ECB holds topsoil and seed (typically grass) in place to minimize erosion during germination of seed.

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Program

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
A website providing information on funding for mitigation programs to reduce disaster losses under FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Flood Cleanup to Protect Indoor Air and Your Health

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
U.S. EPA
Publication Date
Page describing in detail four important actions you should consider to protect your health and indoor air quality (IAQ) when cleaning up after a flood.

Florida Building Code

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC,
FBC
Publication Date
Webpage containing links to all editions of the Florida Building Code.

FORTIFIED Home Homeowner Resources

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage describing homeowner resources program designed to strengthen homes and commercial buildings against severe weather such as high winds, hail, hurricanes, and even tornadoes.

GIS Geography

Author(s)
GIS Geography
Organization(s)
GIS Geography
Publication Date
A website providing free access to a variety of U.S. and international maps.

GLP Emissions Criteria

Author(s)
Carpet and Rug Institute
Organization(s)
CRI
Publication Date
Document describing the emissions criteria for carpets, cushions, and adhesives to qualify as those with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions under the Carpet and Rug Institute's Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality Testing Program.

Ground Source Heat and Cooling

Author(s)
Seth Masia
Organization(s)
American Solar Energy Society,
ASES
Publication Date
Website article discussing the economics of ground source heat pumps.

Ground Source Integrated Heat Pump for Near Zero Energy Houses: Technology Status Report.

Author(s)
Murphy Richard W,
Rice C Keith,
Baxter Van D,
Craddick William G
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Report describing the ground-source IHP (GS-IHP) design and includes the lessons learned and best practices revealed by the research and development (R&D) effort throughout.

Guide to Staying Safe During Wildfires

Author(s)
Gabriele Rob
Organization(s)
SafeHome.org
Publication Date
Webpage describing how to guard homes and properties against wildfire, as well as what to do during a wildfire, whether sheltering in place or attempting evacuation.

Heat Pump Water Heater Installation Tool

Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Organization(s)
U.S. DOE
Publication Date
The Heat Pump Water Heater Installation Tool helps contractors, installers, and homeowners through the decision-making process for heat pump water heater (HPWH) product selection and installation, with a focus on overcoming installation barriers.

Home Energy Saver

Author(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
Online calculator for estimating payback of adding additional insulation to your house.

Home Fire Safety

Author(s)
American Red Cross
Organization(s)
American Red Cross
Publication Date
Website describing ways to prevent home house fires.

Hot Water Solutions

Author(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Organization(s)
NEEA
Publication Date
Website for consumers describing heat pump water heater technology and linking to retailers and installers.

Hot Water Solutions: Buyer's Guide

Author(s)
Hot Water Solutions NW
Organization(s)
HWS NW
Publication Date
Guide describing how to choose energy-efficient water heaters, including heat pump models, with tips on installation, rebates, and incentives for maximizing energy savings.

HUD 2024 Housing Innovation Showcase Poster: Home Energy Score

Author(s)
Charlie Holly
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Publication Date
Factsheet describing how HEScore, a tool used for energy modeling, rates home energy performance based on physical assets and makes recommendations for improvement.

HUD 2024 Housing Innovation Showcase Poster: Induction Cooking

Author(s)
Edward Louie,
Theresa Gilbride
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Publication Date
Factsheet describing the advantages and disadvantages of induction cooktops and the role they play in energy efficiency.

HUD 2024 Housing Innovation Showcase Poster: Re-Siding your Home?

Author(s)
Patricia Gunderson,
Theresa Gilbride
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Publication Date
Factsheet describing re-siding retrofits containing exterior insulation and window upgrades aimed at improved energy savings and comfort.

HUD 2024 Housing Innovation Showcase Poster: Why Heat Pumps?

Author(s)
Edward Louie,
Theresa Gilbride
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Publication Date
Factsheet outlining the advantages of using heat pumps, which are an efficient way to heat and cool a home.

HUD 2024 Housing Innovation Showcase Poster: Window Attachments Keep out the Heat

Author(s)
Katherine Cort,
Theresa Gilbride
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Publication Date
Factsheet outlining how window attachments like cellular shades, roller shades, storm windows with low-emissivity coatings, and solar screens are low-cost steps that can be implemented to keep homes cool in the summer.

Hurricane Preparedness Digital Toolkit

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Publication Date
Webpage containing a library of ready-to-use social media posts, graphics and video links that promote life-saving information about how individuals and families can prepare for and survive during a hurricane.

Hurricanes

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Publication Date
Website detailing how to prepare for, stay safe during, and return home after hurricanes.

HVAC – Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing

Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
PNNL,
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage providing curriculum with links to presentations and problem sets for teaching an understanding of sizing cold climate heat pumps.

International Mechanical Code (IMC)

Author(s)
U.S. International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Webpage describing current and past versions of the International Mechanical Code (IMC), code establishing minimum regulations for mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, ducts, fireplaces, combustion and hydronic systems, using prescriptive and performance-related...

International Residential Code (IRC)

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Webpage containing all editions of the International Residential Code (IRC), code for residential buildings that creates minimum regulations for one- and two-family dwellings of three stories or less, bringing together all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions...

IoT-Based Comfort Control and Fault Diagnostics System for Energy-Efficient Homes

Author(s)
O'Neill Zheng,
Tao Yang,
Jin Wen,
Kimball Richard,
Ningxuan Wen,
Taasevigen Danny,
Xiao Hai
Organization(s)
Texas A&M University,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research report discussing the reduction of HVAC energy consumption to meet U.S. greenhouse gas targets and DOE's energy-efficient building goals. It introduces iComfort, an IoT-based system for optimizing home comfort and energy savings.

Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Website describing best practices for minimizing exposure to lead while doing repairs and renovations in homes built in 1978 or earlier.

Light Bulbs

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
A website explaining why homeowners should install ENERGY STAR certified lightbulbs, which helps to save homeowners on utility bills and protect the environment.

Minnesota Power New Construction Energy Efficiency Program

Author(s)
Minnesota Power
Organization(s)
Minnesota Power
Publication Date
Website describing Minnesota Power’s New Construction Energy Efficiency program that promotes building practices and technologies that enhance new residential construction.

Moisture Performance of Unvented Attics with Vapor Diffusion Ports and Buried Ducts in Hot, Humid Climates

Author(s)
Kaufman Zoe,
Fontanini Anthony,
Withers Charles R,
Marden Craig,
Ueno Kohta,
Philip Ross,
Barker Greg M,
Hancock Ed,
Earle Lieko,
Garber-Slaght Robbin,
Meleika Sam
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report on the use of vapor diffusion ports to reduce moisture issues with buried ductwork in unvented attics in hot-humid climates.

National Electric Code (NEC)

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
This standard provides a benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards and has been adopted in all 50 states.