Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 48 of 48 results:

2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey - RECS Data

2015

U.S. Energy Information Administration

EIA

Federal statistics about national energy consumption in residential homes.

Air Leakage in Recessed Lighting

2002

Van der Meer Bill

Pennsylvania Housing Research/Resource Center,

PHRC

Article describing recessed lighting, which if installed incorrectly may contribute to air leakage and compromise building envelope efficiency.

Ceiling Fan Basics

2020

ENERGY STAR

ENRGY STAR webpage discussing the basics of certified ceiling fans.

Ceiling Fans - Tips for Maximizing Energy Savings

2008

Calwell Chris,

Horowitz Noah

Massachusetts Department of Energy,

Commonwealth of Massachusetts,

Home Energy Magazine,

State of Massachusetts

Article describing customer tip sheet and how ceiling fans are one of the most popular and generally well regarded of all home energy efficiency features.

Ceiling Fans Key Product Criteria

2020

ENERGY STAR

Website that describes two ceiling fan types and their respective ENERGY STAR eligible product types.

Ceilings and Attics

2000

Southface Energy Institute,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL,

SEI

Information sheet with information about insulating and ventilating attics.

Climate Science Special Report 4th National Climate Assessment Vol 1

2017

U.S. Global Change Research Program

USGCRP,

Climate Science Special Report,

CSSR

Report assessing the science of climate change with a focus on the U.S.

Closed Crawl Space Performance: Proof of Concept in the Production Builder Marketplace

2008

Dastur Cyrus,

Mauceri Maria,

Hannas Benjamin

Advanced Energy

Report aimed to quantify the impact of closed crawlspaces in new homes, and investigate modeling software to ensure accuracy of energy consumption predictions in these homes.

Closed Crawl Spaces - An Introduction to Design, Construction and Performance

2005

Dastur Cyrus,

Davis Bruce,

Warren William E

Advanced Energy

Guide about designing and installing closed crawlspaces in the Southeast.

Comparison of Measured and Calculated Residential Cooling Loads

2007

Barnaby Charles S,

Wilcox Bruce A

American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,

ASHRAE

Technical report detailing a study in which actual cooling loads are compared to modeled cooling loads.

Dam Ice Dam, BSI-046

2011

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing strategies for reducing the risk of ice dam formation on roofs in winter.

Digital Coast

2020

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA

Website helping communities address coastal issues with data, tools, and training resources.

Energy Efficiency Standards

2025

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LBNL

Website describing analyses for products and standards affecting home heating, cooling, and appliances, in regards to technical, economical, and energy efficiency pathways.

ENERGY STAR Certified Ceiling Fans

2014

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA,

ENERGY STAR

Website providing consumer information about ceiling fans, including specifications and buying guidance.

Feasibility of Foundation Heat Exchangers for Residential Ground Source Heat Pump Systems in the United States

2012

Cullin James R,

et al.

American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,

ASHRAE,

Oklahoma State University,

OSU,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Study characterizing how foundation heat exchangers (FHXs) used in residential ground source heat pump systems represent a potential cost savings due to their lesser first cost over other types of heat exchangers.

FORTIFIED Home ASCE 7-10 FORTIFIED™ Wind Uplift Design Pressure Calculator for Residential Roof Coverings (2:12 or Greater)1,2,3

2020

Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety

IBHS

Calculator determining the appropriate design pressures for steep-slope roof coverings for roofers and evlauators.

Fourth National Climate Assessment, Vol 2: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States

2018

U.S. Global Change Research Program

USGCRP

Report analyzing the effect of global climate change on national interests, and providing climate predictions.

FPC Residential Monitoring Project: New Technology Development - Radiant Barrier Pilot Project

2015

Parker Danny S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

The FPC Monitoring project has evaluated radiant barrier systems (RBS) as a new potential DSM program.

Gable End Retrofit Guide

2008

Florida Division of Emergency Management

Florida Disaster

Guide describing retrofit procedures for gable end roofs.

Geospatial Data Science

2014

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

U.S. Department of Energy

NREL,

DOE

Website with prepopulated information about the United States renewable resources.

Gossamer Wind Ceiling Fans

2014

Florida Solar Energy Center,

University of Central Florida

FSEC,

UCF

Website providing information about the Gossamer Wind Series Ceiling fans, conceived by Danny Parker at the Florida Solar Energy Center as a means of realizing the energy efficiency and comfort potential of ceiling fans.

Home Energy Guide - Techniques, Tactics, and Tips: Ice Dams

2003

Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Information Center

Minnesota Department of Commerce

Article describing the causes that form ice dams, as well as solutions for preventing future ice dams on roofs, focusing on air sealing to prevent hot air leakage.

How Insulating Concrete Form vs. Conventional Construction of Exterior Walls Affects Whole Building Energy Consumption

2003

Petrie Thomas W,

et al.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy,

ACEEE

Report sumarizing results of an ICF investigation of side-by-side houses in Knoxville, Tennessee.

How to Build an Insulated Cathedral Ceiling

2011

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor

Information sheet presenting the correct methods for building an insulated cathedral ceiling.

How to Install Cellulose Insulation

2011

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Information sheet presenting techniques for installing cellulose insulation.

Ice Dams, BSD-135

2006

Straube John

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article outlining the casuses and solutions for ice dam problems.

Kick the Can! No Recessed Lights in the Building Envelope

2011

Bailes Allison

Energy Vanguard

Article discussing the downside to recessed can lights.

Moving Ducts Inside: Big Builders, Scientists Find Common Ground

2008

Lubliner Michael,

et al.

WSU Extension Energy Program,

Washington State Department of Community Trade and Economic Development

Conference paper making the case that moving ducts to conditioned space saves energy, is practical for production builders (when accompanied by careful pre-planning), and creates significant andmarketable energy savings for homebuyers.

National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center

2020

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

National Weather Service

NOAA,

NWS

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

National Weather Service: Storm Prediction Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

2020

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

National Weather Service

NOAA,

NWS

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane's sustained wind speed.

NOAA's National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center: the Enhanced Fujita Scale

2007

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

National Weather Service

NOAA,

NWS

The Enhanced F-scale is a set of wind estimates (not measurements) based on damage which uses three-second gusts estimated at the point of damage based on a judgment of 8 levels of damage to the 28 indicators listed.

Performance of Four Near Zero Energy Homes: Lessons Learned

2010

Colon Carlos J,

et al.

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Paper examining the monitored performance of four newly constructed near zero energy homes in Florida.

Radiant Barrier Calculator

2011

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL

Website providing an online calculator for determining energy and cost savings from installing radiant barriers in attics.

Radiant Barriers

2015

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

U.S. Department of Energy's website describing radiant barriers in homes.

Radiant Barriers: A Question and Answer Primer

2005

Melody Ingrid,

Fairey Philip W,

Beal David

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Website with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about attic radiant barriers.

Raised-Heel Trusses

2011

American Plywood Association

APA

Information sheet with the definition and uses for a raised truss.

Reducing the Costs of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems: Proceedings of Solar Forum 2001

2001

Dunlop James P,

et al.

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

A report presenting alternative approaches for reducing the costs of roof-mounted, grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Retrofit Improvements: Flash and Seal Roof Penetrations

2020

Home Innovation Research Labs

HIRL

Fact sheet describing flashing of roof penetrations to make a home more resistant to high winds, hurricanes, and rainwater intrusion.

Simplified Space Conditioning in Low-Load Homes: Results from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, New Construction Unoccupied Test House

2014

Poerschke Andrew,

Stecher Dave

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS

Study conducted to help determine cost-effective solutions for heating and cooling houses that are designed to be energy efficient.

Small Commercial Building Fact Sheet - Building Envelope

2016

Southface Energy Institute

SEI

Fact sheet describing building envelope performance measures applicable to residential and small commercial construction.

Storm Prediction Center

2020

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

National Weather Service

NOAA,

NWS

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

Thermal Performance and Wall Ratings

1996

Christian Jeffrey E,

Kosny Jan

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Report proposing a procedure for estimating the whole opaque wall R-value (whole-wall R-value), independent of system type and construction materials.

Thermal Protection in Recessed Luminaires

2001

Pierce Jim

Independent Alliance of the Electrical Industry,

IAEI

Article on thermal protectors in recessed light fixtures.

Unvented Roof Assemblies for All Climates, BSD-149

2007

Schumacher Christopher

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report reviewing unvented roof assemblies, such as conditioned attics and unvented cathedral ceilings that are becoming common in North American construction.

Unvented Roof Summary, RR-0301

2003

Ueno Kohta

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Document summarizing the various papers on unvented conditioned cathedralized attics found on BSC's website.

Ventilating Cathedral Ceilings to Prevent Problematic Icings at their Eaves

1998

Tobiasson Wayne N,

Tantillo Thomas,

Buska James S

Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory,

CRREL

Report describing the formation of icicles and ice dams along poorly ventilated roofs and how to mitigate ventilation issues with insulation and vents.

Venting of Attics & Cathedral Ceilings

2002

TenWolde Anton,

Rose William B

American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,

ASHRAE

Report describing the use of attic ventilation to control moisture in cathedral roofs and avoid the formation of ice dams.

Waste Reduction Model (WARM)

2016

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Information sheet with the Waste Reduction Model (WARM), designed to help solid waste planners and organizations track and voluntarily report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions from several different waste management practices.