Skip to main content

Library

Explore this extensive library of building science guidance including research reports from DOE’s Building America program as well as hundreds of other articles, fact sheets, webpages, and reference documents related to constructing and renovating homes.

Showing 51 - 100 of 181 results:

Energy Renovations Insulation - A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners, Volume 17

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Document providing descriptions of the many insulation options available to homeowners, along with guidance on where, when, and how to install insulation throughout your house.

ENERGY STAR Certified Ceiling Fans

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
·
Organization(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Description
Website providing consumer information about ceiling fans, including specifications and buying guidance.

ENERGY STAR® Certified Heat Pump Water Heaters Sales Guide

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
·
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA
Description
Informational guide describing the benefits, functionality, and cost savings of ENERGY STAR® certified heat pump water heaters, addressing common misconceptions and highlighting incentives.

Energy-Efficient Florida Home Building, Third Printing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Vieira Robin K,
Sheinkopf Kenneth G,
Sonne Jeffrey K
·
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Description
Document talking about the topic Energy-Efficient Florida Home Building.

Evaluation of Cellular Shades in the PNNL Lab Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Sullivan Greg P,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Description
DOE-sponsored report describing the experimental setup and results of field studies on using interior cellular shading attachments to reduce solar heat gain in summer and reduce heat loss in winter.

Evaluation of Cellular Shades in the PNNL Lab Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Peterson Joseph M,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Description
Report describing the methods and results of a field evaluation of the energy performance of cellular shade window coverings.

Evaluation of Exterior Shades at PNNL Lab Homes and Occupied Field Sites

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Cort Katherine A,
Hunt Walter E
·
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Description
DOE-sponsored report describing the experimental setup and results of field studies on using exterior fabric shading attachments to reduce solar heat gain, reduce glare, and improve comfort.

Evaluation of Interior Cellular Shades in a Residential Building

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Bhandari Mahabir,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Description
DOE-sponsored report describing a study investigating the energy savings potential of cellular shades in homes.

Evaluation of Missed Energy Saving Opportunity - Based on Illinois Home Performance Program Field Data: Homeowner Selected Upgrades Versus Cost-Optimized Solutions

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Milby M,
Baker Julie D,
Yee Shannon
·
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR
Description
Study investigating homeowner measure package choices in the Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program compared to cost-optimal choices determined through Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software.

Field Evaluation of Advances in Energy-Efficiency Practices for Manufactured Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES
Description
Report on the field evaluation of whole-building approaches and estimation of the relative contributions of select technologies toward reducing energy use related to space conditioning in new manufactured homes.

Flexible Roofing Facility: 2001 Summer Test Results

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Parker Danny S,
Sonne Jeffrey K,
Sherwin John S
·
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Description
Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of various roof types on cooling energy performance in a test facility.

For Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center
·
Organization(s)
FSEC
Description
Website with information for consumers about solar thermal systems for homes.

Formaldehyde

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA
Description
Detailed information about Formaldehyde including health effects and strategies to reduce exposure.

FORTIFIED Home Homeowner Resources

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
·
Organization(s)
IBHS
Description
Webpage describing homeowner resources program designed to strengthen homes and commercial buildings against severe weather such as high winds, hail, hurricanes, and even tornadoes.

General PV Specification

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
·
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Description
Brochure on specifications for PV systems.

General Solar Thermal Specification

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
·
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Description
Brochure on specifications for solar thermal systems.

Geospatial Data Science

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
NREL
Description
A website providing geospatial data , tools, and maps including data on the U.S. solar resources for solar power.

Geothermal (Ground-Source) Heat Pumps: Market Status, Barriers to Adoption, and Actions to Overcome Barriers

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Hughes Patrick J
·
Organization(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Report investigating the status of the geothermal heat pump (GHP) industry and technology in the United States, assembling GHP energy savings potential, identifying key barriers to application of GHPs, and identifying actions that could accelerate adoption of GHPs.

Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
·
Organization(s)
DOE
Description
Fact sheet defining a grid-interactive efficient building and its benefits.

Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
·
Organization(s)
DOE
Description
Website highlighting the DOE Building Technologies Office Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings Initiative, including technical reports, other publications, resources, and presentations.

Health Problems Caused by Secondhand Smoke

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Office on Smoking and Health,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
·
Organization(s)
OSH,
NCCDPHP,
CDC
Description
Webpage that describes health problems that can be caused by secondhand smoke.

Heat Island Group - Berkeley Lab

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Heat Island Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
LBNL
Description
LBNL webpage introducing heat island effect and cool materials concepts, and providing links to LBNL pages explaining cool pavements, cool roofs, and cool walls.

Heat Island Group: Resources

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Heat Island Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
LBNL
Description
LBNL webpage providing resources and tools related to cool technologies, including the SRI calculator and the DOE Cool Roof Calculator.

Heat your Water with the Sun

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
NREL
Description
Provides consumers with general information on solar water heating systems and how to select a contractor.

Heating and Cooling With a Heat Pump

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Natural Resources Canada
·
Organization(s)
Natural Resources Canada
Description
Report providing information for HVAC designers, installers, and consumers about air source heat pumps.

Home Energy Displays: Consumer Adoption and Response

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
LaMarche Janelle,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,
Fraunhofer CSE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Description
Research study investigating the factors influencing consumer adoption of HEDs and evaluating the resulting electricity consumption.

Home Power

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Sanchez
·
Organization(s)
Home Power
Description
Web article about solar site assessment.

How to Build a Zero Electric Utility Cost House

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Christian Jeffrey E
·
Organization(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy,
ACEEE
Description
Report presenting construction methods, building products, appliances and equipment of four single-family houses that achieve dramatic energy reductions and approach “net zero energy” use.

How to Choose a Room Air Cleaner

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Park Ga-Young
·
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. EPA,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Description
Article describing considerations for choosing a room-level air cleaner to improve indoor air quality.

How To: Mounting Solar on Sips

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Sughrue Patrick
·
Organization(s)
Premier SIPS Structural Insulated Panels,
Home Power Magazine
Description
A structural insulated panel (SIP) roof has no embedded lumber in the structure, and therefore nothing substantial for attaching PV array and solar hot water mounts. Single or double lumber splines could be put into the panels, or I-joists at 4-foot intervals could be added.

Hybrid Inverter Comparison Chart

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Clean Energy Reviews
·
Organization(s)
CER
Description
Website providing comparison charts and reviews of hybrid inverters for solar power systems.

Implementing a Zero Energy Ready Home Multifamily Project

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Springer David,
German Alea
·
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Description
Report on on lessons learned from building one multifamily home to the Zero Energy Ready Home program requirements.

Introduction to Buildings Systems Performance: Houses that Work II

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Building Science Corporation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
BSC,
NREL
Description
Report that describes BSC's Houses That Work II (HTWII) climate-specific technical resource, beginning with an overall HTWII introduction and four sections explaining the four most important hygro-thermal climate regions: Hot-Humid, Mixed-Humid, Cold, and Hot-Dry/Mixed-Dry.

Is Battery Storage Right for You?

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
·
Organization(s)
SMUD
Description
Webpage describing benefits of adding battery storage to homes and an estimation tool.

Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA
Description
Website describing best practices for minimizing exposure to lead while doing repairs and renovations in homes built in 1978 or earlier.

LED Lighting

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
·
Organization(s)
DOE
Description
The light-emitting diode (LED) is one of today's most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies.

Light Bulbs

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
·
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Description
A website explaining why homeowners should install ENERGY STAR certified lightbulbs, which helps to save homeowners on utility bills and protect the environment.