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 56
Organization(s)
City of Fresno
Publication Date
Description
Webpage from the City of Fresno's Water Conservation Program describing household water conservation recommendations, including tips for maintaining evaporative coolers.
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
This five-page brochure contains basic information on flood cleanup with illustrations and links to more detailed information.
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Webpage providing tips for installing and maintaining an evaporative cooler.
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Description
Web page explaining what a cool exterior wall is and how they work, as well as benefits to their use and links to research studies.
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Description
Web page explaining what a cool roof is and how they work, as well as benefits to their use and links to research studies.
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA
Publication Date
Description
Web page providing information on the types of cool roofs and their benefits to consumers.
Organization(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Description
ENERGY STAR webpage discussing the costs and benefits of cool roofs.
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
LBNL webpage providing resources and tools related to cool technologies, including the SRI calculator and the DOE Cool Roof Calculator.
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Description
Searchable database of over 3,000 roofing products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.
Organization(s)
CRRC
Publication Date
Description
Searchable database of wall cladding and coating products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
Spreadsheet tool that computes solar reflectance index (SRI) and roof surface temperature based on solar reflectance and thermal emittance using ASTM standard E 1980.
Organization(s)
California Air Resources Board
Publication Date
Description
Webpage discussing the characteristics of sunlight and how cool roofs work to reduce solar heat gain.
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
EPA webpage explaining the heat island effect and providing links to related content.
Organization(s)
Applied Energy,
National Science Foundation,
NSF
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
Clean Energy Exhibition,
Solar World
Publication Date
Description
Webpage providing details of an experimental earth tube installation at the Clean Energy Exhibition in Georgia.
Organization(s)
U.S. Geological Survey,
USGS
Publication Date
Description
Image of design wet bulb temperatures in the U.S. and where evaporative cooling is most appropriate.
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
DOE Energy Saver webpage providing a brief summary of natural ventilation for houses.
Organization(s)
Ohio State University Extension,
OSU
Publication Date
Description
Website providing guidance on passive heating, cooling, and lighting methods.
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
A webpage by the DOE on tips for saving energy with an evaporative cooler.
Organization(s)
Zero Energy Project
Publication Date
Description
Guidance from Zero Energy Project on construction techniques for warmer climates, such as home orientation, and insulation requirements.
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing 'cool roofs' and their usage for passive home cooling.
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
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...
Organization(s)
NREL,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
News article describing the state of the residential battery storage market.
Organization(s)
UNEP
Publication Date
Description
Guidance document from the UN environment programme on climate-resilient buildings and communities practices, including guidance on heat waves, drought, hurricanes, and flooding.
Organization(s)
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry,
MNDLI
Publication Date
Description
A presentation on the 2020 State Mechanical Code for easier understanding.
Organization(s)
Purdue University
Publication Date
Description
Article from Purdue University on the potential for white paint technology to lower air conditioning usage requirements.
Publication Date
Description
Conference paper presented at the 2020 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings presenting the results of an evaluation of control strategies used when new mini-splits are installed in a home with an existing HVAC system.
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
University of Central Florida,
UCF
Publication Date
Description
Study investigating measured cooling energy savings from the installation of wall finishes with higher solar reflectance.
Organization(s)
Rocky Mountain Institute,
RMI
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
The Earthbound Report
Publication Date
Description
Article from The Earthbound Report on passive cooling design strategies for homes located in hot climates.
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
Tool developed by LBNL to calculate potential savings from increasing wall and roof solar reflectance.
Organization(s)
Purdue University
Publication Date
Description
Blog article describing considerations for how to use trees for shading to reduce cooling energy demand.
Evaluation of Mini-Split Heat Pumps as Supplemental and Full System Retrofits in a Hot Humid Climate
Organization(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy,
ACEEE
Publication Date
Description
Technical report presenting the results of an evaluation of homes using high-efficiency mini-split heat pumps to supplement the primary heating and cooling systems.
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Technical report evaluating the energy savings potential of radiative cooling technologies, particularly photonic 'selective emittance' materials.
Organization(s)
Center for the Built Environment,
CBE,
University of California Berkeley,
UC Berkeley
Publication Date
Description
Presentation on urban land use and sustainable building design.
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Factsheet profiling a simple modification that can be made to window air-conditioners to improve their energy efficiency.
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Description
Article from Green Building Advisor on strategies to take when building homes to reduce the need for air conditioning, including insulation, windows, site selection, and roofing.
Organization(s)
Permaculture Research Institute
Publication Date
Description
Article describing earthship homes.
Organization(s)
GCCA,
R20
Publication Date
Description
Guide developed to help contractors, building operators, and city officials successfully adopt cool roof and pavement technology.
Organization(s)
University of Texas
Publication Date
Description
Report detailing natural ventilation and passive airflow systems.
Organization(s)
Big Ass Fans,
HPAC Engineering
Publication Date
Description
Article describing how air speed affects thermal comfort and how fans can provide energy savings.
Organization(s)
ORNL,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Simple web-based tool allowing homeowners to calculate the potential savings from installing a cool roof.
Organization(s)
AEC,
App State
Publication Date
Description
Study from Appalachian State University on passive solar design to take advantage of local climate zones for energy conservation.
Organization(s)
PG&E,
California Public Utilities Commission
Publication Date
Description
Technical fact sheet describing proper operation, sizing, and installation of whole-house fans.
Organization(s)
California Energy Commission,
CEC,
Public Interest Energy Research Program,
PIER,
Laboratory Directed Research and Development,
LDRD,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Description
Study describing efforts and outcomes in developing color-pigmented roofing products with coatings to increase solar reflectance.
Organization(s)
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy,
ACEEE
Publication Date
Description
Report detailing passive design strategies used at the Zion National Park Visitor Center, including evaporative cool towers.
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Study investigating measured cooling energy performance in side-by-side identical homes with varying roof types, including cool roof technologies.
Organization(s)
NAHB,
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
HUD,
Office of Policy Development and Research,
PDR
Publication Date
Description
Article from NAHB research center describing home building techniques for homes in hot climate zones.