Library

A website providing free access to a variety of U.S. and international maps.

Report identifying Building America and 2021 International Energy Conservation Code climate zone designations for every county in the United States; where a county's climate zone designation has changed since the 2018 IECC, that change is indicated as well.

Report documenting short-term test results of the Shift House and compares the results of Passive House Planning Package and Building Energy Optimization modeling of the project.

A report describing how to build a high-performance affordable house to achieve 30% whole house energy savings in the mixed-humid climate region.

Article describing methods for designing and constructing multifamily buildings with insulating concrete forms (ICFs).

Blog article citing the risks and downsides of attic ventilation fans from a building science perspective.

Web page describing how to identify heat-related illness and how to prevent it.

A website issuing watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather and increasing the understanding of hazards.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

Webpage presenting updated maps for annual average temperature and precipitation in the contiguous U.S.

Webpage providing guidance for homeowners on how much snow weight a typical roof can handle and when to consider removing snow from the roof.

Report providing recommended designs and guidance for rebuilding homes destroyed by hurricanes in the Gulf Coast.

Article describing moisture and ice dam issues in attics and how to air seal the attic floor.

Research study identifying the best performing, most energy-efficient and cost- effective techniques to provide controlled mechanical ventilation and humidity control in hot- humid climates with thermally efficient building envelopes.

Report on air-sealing programs for energy-efficiency retrofits.

Q&A article discussing how to address moisture issues in an attic in a wet and humid coastal climate.

Report on hybrid ventilation methods for insulated and sealed crawl spaces.

Webpage providing information about design snow loads and a free interactive ground snow load mapping tool for the contiguous United States, as well as snow load calculation methods.

A website providing timely and accurate forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the contiguous United States.

A research paper discussing the use of foundation heat exchangers for ground source heat pump systems in European climates.

This document covers a description of the need and applied solutions for supplemental dehumidification in warm-humid climates, especially for energy efficient homes where the sensible cooling load has been dramatically reduced.

Research study making several recommendations to whole-home program designers and implementers for improving the cost effectiveness and reach of whole-home programs.

Report illustrating CAD drawings and modeling of bracing layouts for a gable roof truss.

Article from Green Building Advisor on the importance of window selection in hot climates, with an emphasis on window glazing.

Standard 55 specifies conditions for acceptable thermal environments and is intended for use in design, operation, and commissioning of buildings and other occupied spaces; is the current version of the standard, which was published in the year 2021, and is available for preview and purchase at the...

Factsheet providing design guidance for engineers describing how to characterize snow drifts on roofs in three dimensions rather than two, as anticipated in the 2022 edition of the standards, ASCE 7 - Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.

Information sheet about types and installation of insulation.

Website providing guidance for people to find and use tools, information, and subject matter expertise to build climate resilience.

Webpage for the United States Geological Survey for the Department of the Interior.

Interactive map maintained by the USDA showing plant hardiness zones throughout the U.S.

Technical fact sheet highlighting important building connections and illustrating the proper use of various types of connection hardware; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Building science report describing issues with vented attics in hot-humid climates and how sealed attic construction may be a solution.

Fact sheet describing how to identify heat-related illness and what actions to take.

An overview of impacts from weather, climate, and water extremes globally from 1970 to 2019 based on disaster data from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT)

Webpage describing how different amounts and types of snow loads affect the structural integrity of roofs and homes.

Webpage from USDA and U.S. Forest Service with a map of potential wildfire risk across the U.S.

A website created by the U.S. Forest Service, containing interactive maps, charts and resources to help communities explore their risk to wildfires.

ENERGY STAR website to find the best windows by selecting your state and county (or zip code in California) to find your climate zone and learn more about picking the best product for your area.