Library

This report is designed to meet ASHRAE 62.2-2010/2013 and ANSI/ACCA’s 5 QI-2015 protocol, thereby improving the performance of HVAC equipment in new homes when compared to homes built to minimum code.

Report describing the interactions, both positive and negative, between common green building practices and the robustness of residential buildings to withstand natural hazards.

Database compiling extended capacity data for numerous cold climate heat pump manufacturers and models.

Report discussing the benefits of modern evaporative cooling systems for use in hot dry climate zones.

An interactive website providing facts on new, single-family homes constructed in 2019.

A list of EPA federal regulations regarding stationary sources of air pollution.

Link to the NFPA standards collection; NFPA 211 provides guidelines for construction projects involving chimneys, fireplaces, venting systems, and solid fuel-burning appliances.

Standard for installing manufactured homes, including specifications and procedures, for installation of utility connections of a manufactured home.

Code providing minimum safety requirements for the design and installation of fuel gas piping systems in homes and other buildings.

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.

Standard providing a procedure for determining fenestration attachment product U-factors.

Standard for determining fenestration attachment product SHGC and visible transmittance.

Document providing supplemental information for code enforcement professionals about headers in nonbearing walls.

A document providing guidance on integrating a PV array with a roof system.

Document on the development of two simple in-home efficiency test methods that can be used by technicians, researchers, or interested homeowners to verify the correct operation and energy efficiency of a homes air conditioning and heating equipment.

Document about development of recommendations to help residential HVAC designers select optimal supply inlet size and system operating conditions to maintain good thermal comfort in low heating and cooling load homes.

Research study using modeling to determine optimal combination(s) of components/pumps, high efficiency heat sources, plumbing configurations and controls that result in the highest overall efficiency for a hydronic system.

Website to access Oregon state specialty code. Chapter 11 contains requirements concerning energy efficiency measures in residential buildings.

Report providing information to researchers, utility program managers, and building owners interested in controlling heating energy waste and improving resident comfort.

Standards for paints and coatings.

Article investigating how a linear input/output relationship can be used as a simple model of the performance of a combination hydronic heating system over heating only, DHW only, and combined loads.

Standards for requirements, performance, construction, workmanship and others for structural-use panels.

Information sheet providing guidance about the placement of ventilation approaches.

This CASE report proposes updates and revisions to the standards for residential swimming pool filtration pumps, new and replacement single phase pump motors under 5 horsepower (HP), controllers, portable electric spas as well as expanding the scope of the current standards to include light emitting...

Report documenting actual energy savings of a retrofit project in Boulder, CO.

Article describing how to properly manage condensing HVAC equipment.

Fact sheet poster describing an online tool offered within the Building America Solution Center which provides construction guidance for builders and contractors in building and renovating homes to be more resistant to natural disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes and wildfires, etc.

Guide describing flood protection measures for utility systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fuel.

Standard providing information on contractors who offer radon control services to homeowners.

An example of a form a building codes department created to ensure builders are fully aware and have taken steps to provide drainage so that water doesn’t accumulate behind siding. This example is from the city of Newberg, Oregon.

Document with important building science considerations, designed for members of the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers who work in affordable housing.

Information sheet designed for the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers working in affordable housing. This sheet presents building guidance for both new construction and rehabilitation, as well as practices that can be used by property maintenance...

Article describing key takeaways from two symposia held during Building Innovation 2016: The National Institute of Building Sciences Fourth Annual Conference and Expo, including that resilience can be affordable and cost-effective.

Guide describing ways builders can block off entry points and otherwise make homes inhospitable to all manner of pests.

Report from FEMA on how to reduce damage from localized flooding including planning, drainage, building codes and retrofits, and regulations.

Research project aimed to verify whether homes in the New Jersey HPwES program achieved 30% source energy savings, and if so, what measures were implemented to achieve them.

Report including an overview of the buried duct research and information the retrofit methodology used to install and test the three existing duct systems, including short- and long-term data collection.

Fact sheet describing best practices in installing leak-free refrigerant systems, including specifics on creating flare joints and brazed joints, pressure testing, vacuum testing, and charging the system with refrigerant.

Information sheet describing refrigerant line installation and system startup procedures.

Fact sheet describing an alternative to piles in V Zones and A Zones in coastal areas where soil properties preclude pile installation, but the need for an “open foundation system” still exists and recommendations for good masonry practices in coastal environments; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home...

Website describing the RELi rating system and leadership standard that takes a holistic approach to resilient design.

Table in the IRC describing bracing requirements for specified wind speeds and building story locations.

Technical report describing the research and development of the Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System (VICS) which is a specifically designed, energy-efficient solution that seamlessly integrates with low-capacity, ducted heating, and cooling systems, offering controllable, balanced energy recovery...

Webpage containing downloadable fact sheets covering carpet-related topics including Indoor Air Quality, Asthma and Allergy, Cleaning Products, and Environmental Sustainability.

Document presenting results from testing prototype HVAC duct system designs that would locate the entire length of duct work within the air and thermal barriers of the building envelope. These include one that incorporated a high-side supply register, one that utilized a single soffit located within...

Report providing information on mechanical air-cleaning devices for ventilation when conventional methods are not warranted.

Standard covering provisions for electrically operated single- and multiple-station carbon monoxide (CO) alarming devices used in various types of residential occupancies to protect against acute effects of exposure to CO. This version of the standard, originally published in 2001 and revised in...

Standard covering provisions for electrically operated single- and multiple-station carbon monoxide (CO) alarming devices used in various types of residential occupancies to protect against acute effects of exposure to CO. This version of the standard, originally published in 2017 and revised in...

Report describing information from DOE about rules and standards for residential air conditioners and heat pumps.