Library

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.

Article describing ways home owners can improve ventilation in their kitchens.

Webpage describing indoor air quality.

This research study used pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys to assess IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California.

Resource hub describing indoor air quality research performed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Website helping builders, designers, and home energy raters find products that are compliant with the EPA Indoor airPLUS Construction Specification requirements for low-emission materials.

Webpage that provides information on federal requirements for the renovation and demolition of buildings that contain asbestos.

EPA webpage on lead in homes.

EPA’s 2008 Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule (as amended in 2010 and 2011), aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities.

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

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.

Website providing medical information about malignant mesothelioma, a cancer related to asbestos exposure.

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

Website providing guidance about mold and moisture for homes, schools, multifamily and commercial buildings.

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.

A list of EPA federal regulations regarding stationary sources of air pollution.

Standard containing requirements for carbon monoxide (CO) detection and warning equipment intended to protect lives by warning occupants of the presence of CO in sufficient time to allow occupants to escape or take other appropriate action.

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.

Report describing a field study to measure pollutant concentrations in 324 homes in California.

Article describing particulate matter (PM), what it is, how it can be harmful, and what can be done about it.

Website describing particulate matter (PM) pollution.

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.

Website from the EPA containing information for homeowners and renters about how to identify asbestos in the home and how to deal with it to reduce exposure to it.

Website explaining the risks associated with radon in homes and how to protect homes against radon.

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.

A website explaining the benefits of recycling compact fluorescent lightbulbs and how the process can prevent the release of mercury into the environment.

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.

Fact sheet describing best practices in installing leak-free refrigerant systems, including specifics on creating flare joints and brazed joints, pressure testing, vacuum testing, and charging the system with refrigerant.

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 providing guidance on indoor air quality in single-family and multifamily housing for designers, builders, property managers, homeowners, buyers, and renters.

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.

Web page providing an overview of room-level air conditioning systems such as window units and mini-splits.

Factsheet from HUD describing how homeowners can retrofit homes following natural disasters in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Factsheet from HUD describing how to rebuild following natural disasters in Puerto Rico.

Factsheet for builders from HUD on how to rebuild homes following natural disasters in the U.S. Virgin Islands.