Library

Article describing thermal bridging, construction practices that encourage thermal bridging, and solutions.

Standard outlining industry procedure for sizing residential duct systems.

Standard covering equipment sizing loads for single-family-detached homes, small multi-unit structures, condo­miniums, town houses and manufactured homes.

Standard covering sizing strategies for all types of cooling and heating equipment, as well as how to use comprehensive manufacturer’s performance data on sensible, latent, or heating capacity for various operating conditions.

Report providing guidance on wet floodproofing crawlspaces, unfinished basements, and garages.

Report providing guidance to homeowners and business owners on protecting crawlspaces from flood damage.

Document providing guideance and considerations for duct design in an energy efficient house.

Manual describing best practices or home construction in Alaska and northern climates.

Technical report describing the thermal performance of 40 common building envelope details for mid- and high-rise buildings, including analyses to optimize energy efficiency and reduce thermal bridging.

Guide describing methodologies for assessing and mitigating thermal bridging in building envelopes, featuring detailed performance data, interface solutions, and assembly-specific strategies for energy-efficient construction.

Report aimed to quantify the impact of closed crawlspaces in new homes, and investigate modeling software to ensure accuracy of energy consumption predictions in these homes.

Guide about designing and installing closed crawlspaces in the Southeast.

Article describing how closed crawlspaces can do "double duty" by controlling moisture and providing energy savings.

Technical report detailing a study in which actual cooling loads are compared to modeled cooling loads.

Information sheet discussing the properties and benefits of insulating concrete forms.

Report outlining how conditioned crawlspaces perform better than vented crawlspaces in terms of safety, health, comfort, durability and energy consumption.

Information sheet about crawlspace insulation, including installation details.

Article discussing whether or not to seal and insulate crawlspaces.

Information sheet providing information about investigating the thermal effect of staggering the inner and outer wall studs on double walls in new construction.

Report identifying two barriers that limit the ability of builders to explore opportunities for higher levels of energy efficiency in housing: the use of duct system materials that inherently achieve airtightness and are right-sized for low-load houses, and, the ability to air seal fire separation...

Guide provides homeowners ways to prepare for an earthquake and protect a home against earthquake damage.

Article describing a case study in which a whole-house battery and PV system was tested in a home with cooling and refrigeration during a hurricane in Florida.

Report analyzing results in crawlspace retrofits in multifamily buildings.

Information sheet about what length screws should be used, and how closely to space the screws when fastening furring strips to a foam-sheathed wall.

Article explaining what a continuous load path is and the key connection points that make it up.

Article describing methods to manage moisture, rainwater, and vapor in basements and crawlspaces.

Handbook providing guidance on the design and construction of foundations for homes, including insulation, air sealing, and water management details for basements, crawlspaces, and slabs.

Article describing what the building codes say about frost-protected shallow foundations as a cost-saving alternative to conventional concrete foundations.

Guides describing frost-protected shallow foundations as an alternative method for building an energy-efficient foundation for a house in a cold climate that uses less concrete and saves on labor.

Article describing frost-protected shallow foundations with construction drawing details.

Document that gives a step-by-step approach for designing attachments for cladding materials through foam sheathing.

Guide by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships on how to size heat pumps in a cold climate.

Presentation about proper installation of flexible ducts.

Report outlining results from a 2005 hygrothermal pilot study in the South.

Video describing how a frost-protected shallow foundation (FPSF) is constructed and including use of a stay-in-place EPS (expanded polystyrene) footing form that provides insulation and simplifies the installation of frost-protected monolithic concrete slab foundations.

Video describing how a frost-protected shallow foundation (FPSF) is constructed and including use of a stay-in-place EPS (expanded polystyrene) footing form that provides insulation and simplifies the installation of frost-protected monolithic concrete slab foundations.

Article describing what evaporative coolers are, how they work, different types, performance, where they are appropriate, and how to install and maintain them.

Information sheet providing links and resources for insulating basements in cold climates.

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.

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 providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

Document describing guidance and requirements for flood openings in walls at and below grade.

Report providing guidance on protecting foundation walls and enclosures from flood damage.

Report highlighting the evaluation methods used and extent of wind washing found in a study analyzing wind washing in thirty-two two-story homes.

Report documenting actual energy savings of a retrofit project in Boulder, CO.

Information sheet including a checklist of steps to follow for pouring concrete.

Report describing how to construct a frost protected shallow foundation (FPSF) as a practical alternative to a deeper, more-costly foundation in cold regions with seasonal ground freezing and the potential for frost heave.

Report on hybrid ventilation methods for insulated and sealed crawl spaces.

A website providing information on how to properly size a water heater based on tank size, volume, peak hour demand and other factors.