Library

Wildfire guidance for homes located in the wildland urban interface, focused on site design and individual pieces of the home.

Article from Building Science Corporation explaining 'wash and wear buildings' that are designed to be flooded and washed out afterwards.

Guide describing the use of a collaborative, multidisciplinary process that considers and optimizes the building as an entire system including its technical equipment and surroundings for efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective construction and operation over the building’s entire lifespan.

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.

Report on performance of current diagnostics as well as a draft test method for use in future air flow evaluations.

Guidance on performance of current diagnostics as well as a draft test method for use in future air flow evaluations.

Website explaining the LEED v4.1 program and providing a portal for those who want to investigate or start a LEED project.

Webpage published by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) that lists more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks.

Report presenting a cold climate project that examines the relationships among energy efficient single-family residential thermal enclosures, room-to-room temperature variations, and simplified space conditioning systems.

Report about a two-year study intended to document the energy performance of a house in each sub-metered area and compare the performance to modeled predictions and to assess the thermal comfort performance of the single point mini-split heat pump.

Report using a field test plan to evaluate the success of implementing energy efficiency upgrades at the community scale incorporating whole-house systems integrated measures package (SIMP).

Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Document providing information on the impact of various defects and the potential energy savings that can result from proper maintenance, and describing a two-step process for diagnosing and correcting faults. This document is targeted towards home performance contractors who are relatively...

Report providing step-by-step instructions for heating contractors and hydronic designers for selecting the proper control settings to maximize system performance and improve response time when using a thermostat setback.

Report summarizing a case study about the performance of three occupied homes built in 2009 in San Antonio, Texas.

Report describing a lighting and smart power strip retrofit evaluation that was conducted on 56 all-electric, existing Florida homes to see how lighting and miscellaneous electric loads might be reduced.

Report describing an analysis method for determining optimal residential energy efficiency retrofit packages and applies the analysis method to a 1960s-era home in eight U.S. cities.

Website describing Minnesota Power’s New Construction Energy Efficiency program that promotes building practices and technologies that enhance new residential construction.

FEMA mitigation assessment team report following Hurricane Ivan in Florida and Alabama including observations, recommendations, and technical guidance.

Report about a test home project evaluating strategies to elevate the performance of existing homes to a level commensurate with best-in-class implementation of high performance new construction homes.

Webpage outlining important considerations when remodeling, including for maintaining healthy air and keeping radon, dirt, and moisture out.

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

Report demonstrating cost-effective energy savings targets as well as improved comfort and indoor environmental quality associated with deep energy retrofits by a large public housing authority as part of a larger rehabilitation effort.

Report about an experimental evaluation has been conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

Report describing the experimentally evaluated potential of a novel residential night cooling concept.

Fact sheet describing a novel, simplified air delivery system using a plug-and-play model that features 3-inch diameter flexible ducts, efficient fittings, and a simplified installation process that resulted in successful market engagement through commercialization.

Report providing quick reference guide information to help a family prepare for hurricane season, including seven steps to a wind resistant home, a wind inspection checklist, and how to find a contractor.

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.

Report providing information about improving the energy efficiency and long-term durability of the buildings that are being reconstructed post Katrina in New Orleans.

Report providing information about improving the energy efficiency and long-term durability of the buildings that are being reconstructed post Katrina in New Orleans.

Report presenting performance results from tests conducted on an energy efficiency retrofit project in Stockton, California.

Paper examining the monitored performance of four newly constructed near zero energy homes in Florida.

Report describing research on how to reduce energy used by residential homes by applying shallow and deep retrofits to an existing home.

Report describing single retrofit measures applied to shallow retrofitted homes that could be used to refine the deep retrofit package.

Report briefly reviewing past research on the effects of occupant behavior on residential energy use and then covering a two year pilot evaluation of a low cost residential energy feedback system installed in twenty case study homes in Florida.

Report briefly reviewing past research on the effects of occupant behavior on residential energy use and then covering a two year pilot evaluation of a low cost residential energy feedback system installed in twenty case study homes in Florida.

Research study identifying best practices of three successful high performance, custom home builders in the upper Midwest.

Database describing FEMA preparedness webinars including natural hazard preparedness.

Webpage describing steps homeowners can take to prepare their home and car for winter storms.

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.

Webpage from DOE describing how to conserve energy and save money with a home energy audit.

Report covering reducing risk from flooding.

Report providing wildfire protection guidance for homeowners in California.

Report addressing flood, wind and seismic hazards and recommends several multi-hazard resistant foundation designs of manufactured homes.

Report presenting ways public housing authorities (PHAs) can develop packages of energy efficiency retrofit measures the PHAs can cost-effectively implement with their own staff in the normal course of housing operations at the time when units are refurbished between occupancies.

Document outlining the approach to quality assurance in the construction process as recommended by Building Science Corporation for new residential construction.

Research study about two test homes that are examined with the goal of providing case studies that could be applied to other similar New England homes.

App developed by HUD to assist homeowners with lead paint and other hazards common to older homes.

Remodeling Magazine website.

Document containing some of the basic characteristics for energy performance, durability, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality that should be met in all high performance homes.