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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 1 - 17 of 17 results:

A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA
Description
Guide providing information for homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems and how to prevent mold growth.

A Business Case for Home Performance Contracting

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Description
Report discussing opportunities and trends in the U.S. home performance contracting industry, along with market drivers such as consumer demand; federal, state, and local programs; and utility and non-governmental programs.

Analysis of Pre-Retrofit Building and Utility Data

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Prahl Duncan,
Beach Robert
·
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Description
Report outlining workflow and results of regression models on monthly and daily utility data (meter readings of electricity consumption), outlining a process for screening and gathering useful results from inverse models.

Change Is In the Air

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
The Cadmus Group
·
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
HUD
Description
This is a guide for establishing smoke-free policies in public housing and multifamily properties.

Earthquake Home Hazard Hunt, FEMA 528

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
·
Organization(s)
FEMA
Description
Poster describing earthquake safety tips and protection measures to take at home.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Measured Performance of Occupied, Side-by-Side, South Texas Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Chasar Dave,
vonSchramm Valerie
·
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Report summarizing a case study about the performance of three occupied homes built in 2009 in San Antonio, Texas.

Pest Prevention by Design: Authoritative Guidelines for Designing Pests out of Structures

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Geiger Chris A,
Cox Caroline
·
Organization(s)
San Francisco Department of the Environment,
SF Environment,
Center for Environmental Health,
CEH,
International Code Council,
ICC
Description
Report providing detailed steps for builders, architects, and property managers to take for integrated pest management for control of a variety of pests including insects, rodents, and birds.

The Role of Appraisals in Energy Efficiency Financing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Doyle Victoria
·
Organization(s)
Building Industry Research Alliance,
BIRA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Description
Research study identifying barriers, industry status, critical obstacles to documenting added value from energy efficiency improvements, current opportunities to support reporting about energy efficiency, and next steps toward enabling energy efficiency financing market transformation.