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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 1 - 50 of 375

ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE
Publication Date
This standard provides the minimum requirements for energy-efficient design of most sites and buildings, except low-rise residential buildings. It offers, in detail, the minimum energy efficiency requirements for design and construction of new sites and buildings and their systems, new portions of...

FEMA Safe Room Publications and Resources

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Webpage containing the most recent links for FEMA P-361, FEMA P-320, and other documents produced by FEMA regarding the construction of safe rooms for emergencies.

International Fire Code (IFC)

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Webpage with all versions of the International Fire Code (IFC), code establishing regulations involving life and property safety from fires and explosion hazards, including emergency planning, fire department access and water supply, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and hazardous materials...

California Plumbing Code

Author(s)
California Plumbing Code
Organization(s)
CPC
Publication Date
Webpage providing the latest version of the California Plumbing Code.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Standard for Clothing Storage Units

Author(s)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Organization(s)
U.S. CPSC
Publication Date
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) requirement for clothing storage units (CSUs) to be tested for stability, exceed minimum stability requirements, be marked and labeled with safety information, and bear a hang tag providing performance and technical data about the stability of the CSU.

International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC)

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Webpage providing the latest versions of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC), code establishing regulations to safeguard life and property from the intrusion of wildland fire and to prevent structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels; regulates defensible space and provides...

American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA)

Author(s)
American Home Furnishings Alliance
Organization(s)
AHFA
Publication Date
Regulatory Compliance Toolbox by the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) concerning health, safety, environmental, fashion and business information related to home furnishings.

California Residential Code

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Webpage containing the latest version of the California Residential Code.

ACCA Manual S - Residential Equipment Selection

Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Link to the most recent version of ACCA Manual S, a standard covering sizing strategies for all types of cooling and heating equipment, as well as how to use comprehensive manufacturer’s performance data on sensible, latent, or heating capacity for various operating conditions.

ACCA Manual D - Residential Duct Systems

Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Link to the most recent version of ACCA Manual D, a standard outlining industry procedure for sizing residential duct systems.

FEMA Title 44 CFR § 60.3(e)(7))

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
FEMA guidance for flood damage in areas prone to flooding.

International Plumbing Code (IPC)

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Website with all versions of the International Plumbing Code (IPC), code establishing minimum regulations for plumbing facilities, including fixtures, water heaters, water supply and distribution, sanitary drainage, storm drainage, etc.

International Building Code (IBC)

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Webpage providing all versions of the International Building Code (IBC) which is code for commercial buildings that brings together all structural, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for all buildings except detached one- and two-family residences and townhouses up to...

Standard for testing Airtightness of Building Enclosures, Airtightness of Heating and Cooling Air Distribution Systems, and Airflow of Mechanical Ventilation Systems, ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380

Author(s)
International Code Council,
Residential Energy Services Network,
American National Standards Institute
Organization(s)
ICC,
RESNET,
ANSI
Publication Date
Webpage containing the latest version of ANSI/RESNET/ICC 380, Standard for testing Airtightness of Building Enclosures, Airtightness of Heating and Cooling Air Distribution Systems, and Airflow of Mechanical Ventilation Systems. This standard provides a consistent, uniform methodology for evaluating...

Energy Efficiency Standards

Author(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
Website describing analyses for products and standards affecting home heating, cooling, and appliances, in regards to technical, economical, and energy efficiency pathways.

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.

Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Standards

Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Webpage containing technical manuals and standards from ACCA, covering design, installation and maintenance for residential and light commercial HVAC systems and providing technical guidance in the indoor environment industry.

American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standards

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Webpage showing standards developed by ASHRAE that define the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. Additional technical guidance is provided on...

Air Barrier Association of America (ABBA) Standards

Author(s)
Air Barrier Association of America
Organization(s)
ABBA
Publication Date
Wepage by ABBA providing standards concerning air barrier assemblies, divided into building assemblies for walls, roofs and foundations and sub-divided into specific types of walls, roofs and foundations. Air barrier assemblies are made up of air barrier materials and connected with air barrier...

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.

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.

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.

Standard Work Specifications

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
The Standard Work Specifications (SWS) are a tool for industry guidance to ensure effective, durable, and safe work is performed during home upgrades.

45L Tax Credit Resource Hub - for Single-Family Homes

Author(s)
BetterBuilt Northwest,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Organization(s)
BetterBuiltNW,
NEEA
Publication Date
Webpage providing guidance on the 45L tax credit, assembling the most relevant information for Northwest builders to maximize their tax credit and build energy efficient homes.

ASCE Hazard Tool Homepage

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE
Publication Date
Web-based mapping tool offering a fast, reliable way to look up key design parameters specified in Standard ASCE 7-10, 7-16, or 7-22 for a specific address or location which is free to use and can look up data for eight different environmental hazard types: wind, tornado, seismic, ice, rain, flood...

California REACH Codes

Author(s)
California Energy Codes and Standards
Organization(s)
California Energy Commission
Publication Date
Subprogram of the California Statewide Codes and Standards Program designed to help cities and counties to adopt above-state-code ordinances.

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.

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.

Home Fire Safety

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

Scaling Up to Zero Energy Ready - and Down to 530 ft2

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Research report detailing Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) partnership with Manatee County Habitat for Humanity to design a compact, Zero Energy Ready Home in Florida, tackling challenges like equipment sizing and indoor air quality, offering insights for projects surpassing building code...

American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) D7793: Standard Specification for Insulated Vinyl Siding

Author(s)
American Society for Testing and Materials
Organization(s)
ASTM
Publication Date
This specification requires that insulated vinyl siding demonstrate a thermal insulation value of R-2.0 or greater. The specification also establishes other performance requirements and test methods including materials properties and dimensions, warp, shrinkage, impact strength, expansion...

2024 Rating the States: Hurricane Coast

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Report assessing building codes for the 18 Atlantic and Gulf coast states which are most prone to hurricanes, as of 2018.

Color and Mood

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
A website explaining the various shades of light, from warm to cool colors, with a visual diagram illustrating the various shades of light.

Accelerating Residential Building Decarbonization: Market Guidance to Scale Zero-Carbon-Aligned Buildings

Author(s)
Webster Brett,
Satre-Meloy Aven,
Badger Leslie,
Donovan Alison,
Lane Damon,
McGrath Kevin,
Wilson Eric,
Reyna Janet,
Metzger Cheryn E,
Pilet Tyler J,
Campbell Martha,
Toffoli Lucas
Organization(s)
Advanced Building Construction Collaborative,
ABC Collaborative,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Rocky Mountain Institute,
RMI,
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation,
VEIC
Publication Date
Report providing product manufacturers, fabricators, contractors and installers, design professionals, owners, and real estate developers with technical performance and cost guidance for scalable zero-carbon-aligned new construction pathways and retrofit packages to achieve zero carbon retrofits and...

Efficiency Vermont

Author(s)
Efficiency Vermont
Organization(s)
Efficiency Vermont
Publication Date
Website to support the state of Vermont transition to a more affordable and cleaner future by affiliate with partners throughout Vermont to save customers money, strengthen our state’s economy, and lower carbon emissions.

Residential Carbon Monoxide Alarming Devices, CSA 6.19-17 (R2022)

Author(s)
Canadian Standards Association
Organization(s)
CSA Group
Publication Date
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...

Washington State Energy Code - WSEC

Author(s)
Washington State Building Code Council
Organization(s)
Washington State Department of Enterprise Services
Publication Date
State building energy code for the State of Washington.