Library

A ENERGY STAR guide on efficient heating, ventilation and cooling systems in residential homes.

EPA webpage explaining the heat island effect and providing links to related content.

LBNL webpage providing resources and tools related to cool technologies, including the SRI calculator and the DOE Cool Roof Calculator.

Webpage providing basic information on various types of heat pumps and their applications in Massachusetts.

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Factsheet profiling a simple modification that can be made to window air-conditioners to improve their energy efficiency.

Article from RMI on how climate change is leading to an increase in critical extreme heat hours and what smart building strategies can be taken to mitigate some of these effects including paint color and insulation.

Article from The Earthbound Report on passive cooling design strategies for homes located in hot climates.

Factsheet outlining the advantages of using heat pumps, which are an efficient way to heat and cool a home.

Factsheet outlining how window attachments like cellular shades, roller shades, storm windows with low-emissivity coatings, and solar screens are low-cost steps that can be implemented to keep homes cool in the summer.

Guide discussing observations, recommendations, and technical guidance as a result of Hurricane Katrina

A document aimed at reducing the vulnerability of a gable end roof to wind damage in a hurricane.

Webpage providing curriculum with links to presentations and problem sets for teaching an understanding of sizing cold climate heat pumps.

Paper providing a comprehensive overview of HVAC system design considerations and challenges specific to multifamily residential buildings, focusing on optimizing performance and addressing common issues.

Correcting pressure imbalances in your HVAC system can result in a healthier, more efficient home.

Research study describing the impact resistance performance of advanced framed wall systems with insulating sheathing as the primary sheathing from wind blown debris.

Study evaluating opportunities for reducing cooling energy use in a hot dry climate through the use of shading and window options.

Article describing how air speed affects thermal comfort and how fans can provide energy savings.

Study using simulations to understand the impact that shading and natural ventilation would have had on the survivability of non-air-conditioned buildings during the 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest.

Report detailing natural ventilation and passive airflow systems.

News article describing the state of the residential battery storage market.

Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.

Report on two approaches to retrofitting existing double-stud walls.

Study investigating measured cooling energy savings in homes across the U.S. from the installation of roofing with higher solar reflectance.

Study investigating measured cooling energy savings from the installation of wall finishes with higher solar reflectance.

This report investigates whether mini-split heat pumps can live up to their potential for one market segment: multifamily retrofits.

FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team Report describing damages from Hurricane Michael in Florida in Oct. 2018 and recommendations for future hurricane preparedness.

DOE Energy Saver webpage providing a brief summary of natural ventilation for houses.

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.

Document describing recommended modeling rules, potential compliance credits, and eligibility criteria for residential night ventilation cooling systems for California’s Title 24 energy efficiency standards.

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

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

Book describing passive cooling techniques from a technical and academic perspective.

This study evaluated 11 measures for passive cooling using four heat resilience metrics with and without grid power in Fresno CA and found the two most effective measures were installing solar-control window films and adding roof insulation; natural ventilation also helped reduce overheating in...

Website providing guidance on passive heating, cooling, and lighting methods.

Paper summarizing passive and low-energy cooling systems for buildings.

Blog article describing considerations for how to use trees for shading to reduce cooling energy demand.

Large scale simulation study investigating the effects of cool roofs and walls on buildings of various vintages across the U.S., with special attention given to California.

Searchable database of over 3,000 roofing products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.

Searchable database of wall cladding and coating products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.

This study used an advanced airflow, energy and humidity modeling tool to evaluate the potential for residential mechanical pre-scooling strategies to reduce peak electriciy demand.

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

Webpage describing a DOE Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge. The challenge engages industry partners and focuses around the Cold Climate Heat Pumps, a more environmental and efficient heating alternative to traditional heating.

Paper covering a parametric study of foundation heat exchanger-based ground source heat pump systems for several house configurations in a range of European locations, with an emphasis on determining feasible combinations.

Report evaluating mechanical AC precooling strategies in homes as a method for improving the load factor by shifting cooling operation from on-peak to off-peak hours.

DOE report characterizing the installed base of windows and window coverings, and how users operate window coverings in order to enable precise quantification of energy savings.

Fact sheet describing how to install bracing to retrofit roof dormers for increased wind resistance.