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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 151 - 200 of 347 results:

Flow-Through Assemblies, BSI-091

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Description
Article discussing flow-through assemblies of walls.

Foam Shrinks, and Other Lessons, PA-1201

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Description
Journal article describing lessons learned from updating a 16-year-old deep-energy retrofit.

Fold-Form

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Owens Corning Insulation
·
Organization(s)
Owens Corning Insulation
Description
Information sheet with manufacturer specifications about insulated concrete forms.

Fort Devens: Cold Climate, Energy-Efficient, Market-Rate Townhomes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Zoeller William,
Grab Joanna,
Slattery Matt
·
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Report about development of effective strategies to reduce the overall building energy use in line with Building America goals in this modestly priced market rate project.

Geothermal Heat Pumps Key Product Criteria

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Description
Website with information about ENERGY STAR criteria for geothermal heat pumps.

Ground Source Heat and Cooling

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Seth Masia
·
Organization(s)
American Solar Energy Society,
ASES
Description
Website article discussing the economics of ground source heat pumps.

Guide to Good Leak Testing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Institute of Refrigeration
·
Organization(s)
IOR,
Carbon Trust
Description
Guide describing refrigeration leaks, including common leak points, how to fix them, and how to prevent them.

Guide to Insulating Sheathing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
·
Organization(s)
BSC
Description
Guide providing information on using exterior foam insulating sheathing in building wall assemblies to enhance thermal performance.

HardiPlank Lap Siding Butt Joint Flashing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Fratzel Todd
·
Organization(s)
Home Construction and Improvement
Description
A article about the best practice method of installing fiber cement siding, to install flashing at the butt joints of the siding boards, rather than face caulking the butt joints afterwards.

Heat & Cool Efficiently

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
·
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Description
A ENERGY STAR guide on efficient heating, ventilation and cooling systems in residential homes.

Heat Island Effect

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA
Description
EPA webpage explaining the heat island effect and providing links to related content.

Heat Island Group - Berkeley Lab

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Heat Island Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
LBNL
Description
LBNL webpage introducing heat island effect and cool materials concepts, and providing links to LBNL pages explaining cool pavements, cool roofs, and cool walls.

Heat Island Group: Resources

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Heat Island Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
LBNL
Description
LBNL webpage providing resources and tools related to cool technologies, including the SRI calculator and the DOE Cool Roof Calculator.

Heat Pumps for Heating and Cooling

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Town of Concord Massachusetts
·
Organization(s)
Town of Concord Massachusetts
Description
Webpage providing basic information on various types of heat pumps and their applications in Massachusetts.

High Performance Walls in Hot-Dry Climates

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Hoeschele Marc,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Article from NREL on wall construction guidelines for homes in hot climate zones.

High-Efficiency Window Air Conditioners

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
·
Organization(s)
DOE
Description
Factsheet profiling a simple modification that can be made to window air-conditioners to improve their energy efficiency.

High-R Roofs Case Study Analysis, BA-1006

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Straube John,
Grin Aaron
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Description
Report that considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.

High-R Walls for New Construction Structural Performance: Wind Pressure Testing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Desjarlais Andre O,
Kochkin Vladimir
·
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Description
Report with test results that serve as a baseline of data for further material tests of other high-R wall systems and for comparison to whole-house wind pressure testing.

High-R Walls for Remodeling: Wall Cavity Moisture Monitoring

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Wiehagen Joseph,
Kochkin Vladimir
·
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Description
Research study presenting results of an existing home monitoring project designed to measure wall cavity moisture characteristics.

House Siding Options, Plus Costs, Pros & Cons 2020

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Siding Cost Guide
·
Organization(s)
Siding Cost Guide
Description
A starting point for ballparking and comparing the cost of different siding materials and a brief overview of the pros and cons of different siding materials.

How Many Hours-of-Safety Do Our Homes Have in Extreme Weather?

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Corvidae Jacob,
Ayyagari Sheha
·
Organization(s)
Rocky Mountain Institute,
RMI
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.

How to Create a Naturally Cool Building

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Williams Jeremy
·
Organization(s)
The Earthbound Report
Description
Article from The Earthbound Report on passive cooling design strategies for homes located in hot climates.

HUD 2024 Housing Innovation Showcase Poster: Window Attachments Keep out the Heat

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Katherine Cort,
Theresa Gilbride
·
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Description
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.

Hurricane Retrofit Guide - Wood Frame Walls

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Florida Disaster
·
Organization(s)
Florida Division of Emergency Management
Description
Report describing the hurricane retrofit guide with focus on walls and wooded framed walls.

HVAC – Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
U.S. Department of Energy
·
Organization(s)
PNNL,
DOE
Description
Webpage providing curriculum with links to presentations and problem sets for teaching an understanding of sizing cold climate heat pumps.

HVAC in Multifamily Buildings

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Description
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.

HVAC System Pressure Relief

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Raymer Paul H,
Moyer Neil
·
Organization(s)
Tamarack Technologies,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Description
Correcting pressure imbalances in your HVAC system can result in a healthier, more efficient home.

ICC-ES Evaluation Report, ESR-1679

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
ICC Evaluation Service
·
Organization(s)
ICC Evaluation Service
Description
ICC-ES Evaluation Report reviewing proprietary steel shear wall panels developed by Simpson Strong-Tie Company to resist vertical and lateral loads in walls resulting from wind or earthquakes.

Impact Resistance of Brick Veneer Structures to Hurricane Debris

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Bennett Richard M,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Canada Masonry Design Centre,
CMDC
Description
An impact test report from projectile missile tests against brick veneer, verifying that brick veneers perform well to resisting hurricane force wind driven debris.