Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 66 results:

2012 Supplement to the Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation

2012

Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation

FBC

A supplement to the 2012 Florida Building Code on energy efficiency and conservation.

A Bridge Too Far, BSI-005

2008

Lstiburek Joseph

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing thermal bridging, construction practices that encourage thermal bridging, and solutions.

Webpage providing mapping tool for obtaining ground snow load, based on ASCE 7-10, for any location in the contiguous United States, with the exception of locations requiring a case study due to extreme local variations in ground snow loads. Fee required for some data.

Attic Ventilation

2022

Home Ventilating Institute

HVI

Web page describing the benefits of attic fans, with rules for sizing fans and intake vents.

Attic Ventilation Fans Pros and Cons: Will They Save Electricity?

2022

Energy Texas

Blog article discussing pros and cons of attic ventilation fans.

Attic Venting, Attic Moisture, and Ice Dams

1999

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

CMHC,

Government of Canada

Article by the Canadian Government on attic ventilation and considerations for moisture and ice dams.

Avoiding Moisture Problems

2003

Van der Meer Bill

National Association for State Community Services Programs,

NASCSP,

Weatherization Training Center at Penn College,

Pennsylvania College of Technology,

PCT

Technical article describing issues and moisture concerns related to weatherization efforts.

Be Prepared For Extreme Heat, FEMA V-1004

2018

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Information sheet from FEMA on preparation for extreme heat, including measures for keeping homes cool.

Builder's Guide to Cold Climates

2022

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Book presenting the best techniques for energy and resource efficient residential construction in the colder climates of North America.

CCHRC - Cold Climate Housing Research Center

2019

Cold Climate Housing Research Center

CCHRC

Website of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center.

Climate Change Indicators in the United States

2024

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Website providing data indicating climate change.

Climate Consultant

2021

Milne Murray

Society of Building Science Educators,

SBSE,

University of California Los Angeles,

UCLA

Climate Consultant is a software tool for helping architects, builders, contractor, homeowners, and students to understand their local climate.

Climate Research

2017

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA

Website providing weather data.

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.

Coastal Construction Manual - Principles and Practices of Planning, Siting, Designing, Constructing, and Maintaining Residential Buildings in Coastal Areas, Fourth edition, Volume I, FEMA P-55

2011

Coulbourne William,

et al.

Federal Emergency Management Agency,

FEMA,

Applied Technology Council,

ATC,

URS Group,

DK Low and Associates,

Atkins,

TLSmith Consulting

Volume 1 of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to planning, siting, and risk management for homes constructed in coastal environments.

Dealing with and preventing ice dams

2019

University of Minnesota Extension

University of Minnesota

Webpage explaining what causes the formation of ice dams on roofs and steps to take to prevent them.

Designing Houses That Keep Their Cool

2013

Wilson Alex

Green Building Advisor

Article from Green Building Advisor on strategies to take when building homes to reduce the need for air conditioning, including insulation, windows, site selection, and roofing.

Ecosystems Research

2016

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

A map describing the average temperature of shallow groundwater in Fahrenheit across the continental United States.

Energy Auditor - Single Family 2.0: Attic Ventilation

2016

Weatherization Assistance Program

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Powerpoint on attic ventilation developed as training material for the Weatherization Assistance Program.

Erosion Control Treatment Selection Guide

2006

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USDA,

USDA Forest Service

A publication developed by the U.S. Forest Service for its employees and other federal agency staff describing erosion control methods.

Excessive Heat Events Guidebook

2006

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Guidebook meant to provide public officials with information on excessive heat event.

Extreme Weather and Climate Vulnerabilities of the Electric Grid: A Summary of Environmental Sensitivity Quantification Methods

2019

Allen-Dumas Melissa R,

KC Binita,

Cunliff Colin I

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Technical report detailing the vulnerabilities of the U.S. electric grid to weather-related failures.

FEMA Bioengineered Shoreline Stabilization

2018

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Document discussing methods to bioengineer stabilization of shorelines using living and non-living plant materials in combination, known as the “Living Shorelines” concept.

FEMA National Risk Index

2023

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Website providing maps for natural disaster risk in the United States.

Firebreak - Wildfire Resilience Strategies for Real Estate

2020

Urban Land Institute

Updated wildfire risk assessment, community impacts, and building science measures following the disastrous 2020 wildfire season in the western U.S.

Flood Cleanup Infographic

2022

US Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

This document includes tips for safely and effectively cleaning up a home after a flood. It is available in several languages.

Flooded Homes Cleanup Guidance

2023

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Website providing series of short how-to videos, infographics and more resources on cleaning up a home after a flood.

Foil Bubble Pack: Subslab Insulation?

2004

Fulger Don

Home Energy

Article describing the effective R-values of various subslab insulation products, including foil bubble pack.

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.

Georgia Pulls the Attic-Ventilator Plug (Sort of)

2011

Defendorf Richard

Green Building Advisor

Article describing issues with attic ventilation fans and why the state of Georgia residential code does not allow plug-in attic ventilation fans.

Georgia State Supplements and Amendments to the International Energy Conservation Code (2015 Edition)

2020

Georgia Department of Community Affairs

Document describing amendments to IECC 2015 to create the Georgia State Minimum Standard Energy Code.

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.

GIS Geography

2024

GIS Geography

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

How to Build Small Affordable Houses That Use 30% Less Total Energy in the Mixed-Humid Climate

2020

Green Building Solutions

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

Insulating Concrete Forms for Multifamily Residential Construction

2019

Lemay Lionel,

Peng Tien

Civil + Structural Engineers

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

Is It Ever Helpful to Use a Powered Attic Ventilator?

2021

Bailes Allison

Energy Vanguard

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

Keep Your Cool in Hot Weather

2021

National Center for Environmental Health,

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

NCEH,

CDC

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

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.

New Light in Crawlspaces, BSI-009

2010

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

New Maps of Annual Average Temperature and Precipitation from the U.S. Climate Normals

2021

Lindsey Rebecca

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

NOAA

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

Performance Assessment of Photovoltaic Attic Ventilator Fans

2000

Parker Danny S,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Prevent Home Roof Damage from Heavy Snow and Ice.

2019

Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety

IBHS

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

Recommended Residential Construction for Coastal Areas: Building on Strong and Safe Foundations, FEMA P-550

2009

Coulbourne Bill,

et al.

Federal Emergency Management Agency,

FEMA,

URS Corporation,

DK Low and Associates,

Greenhorne and O'Mara,

Dewberry and Davis

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

Reexamining Roof Ventilation

2000

Woods Tony

Home Energy,

National Association for State Community Services Programs,

NASCSP

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

Residential Buildings: Foundations

2022

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Website describing the U.S. Department of Energy's residential buildings program.

Roof Venting in a Wet Climate

2011

Fisette Paul

Journal of Light Construction,

JLC

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

Snow Loads

2015

Wilkerson

Medeek Design

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.

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.

Suitability of foundation heat exchangers for ground source heat pump systems in European climates

2014

Cullin James R,

Spitler Jeffrey D,

Gehlin Signhild E A

Federation of European Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations,

REHVA,

Oklahoma State University,

OSU,

Swedish Centre for Shallow Geothermal Energy

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

Supplemental Dehumidification in Warm-Humid Climates, BA-1310

2013

Rudd Armin

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

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.