Library

Fact sheet providing an overview of the FEMA document Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings.

2012 edition of code establishing minimum regulations for mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, ducts, fireplaces, combustion and hydronic systems, using prescriptive and performance-related provisions.

Code set from IAPMO explaining plumbing standards. 2012 Publication.

Code describing energy codes for energy-conserving and compliant designs in Florida.

The purpose of this standard is to establish minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety and general welfare relative to the design, construction and installation of storm shelters constructed for protection from high winds associated with tornadoes and hurricanes.

Code set from IAPMO explaining plumbing standards. 2018 publication.

2019 version of the California Residential Code.

Report summarizing the requirements for strenghtening and protecting the roof, openings in the house, and creating a continuous load path to strengthen walls and foundation per the IBHS Fortified Homes Hurricane Standard for New Homes.

2020 energy efficiency code for the state of Florida.

Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.

Document containing a series of resource papers that describe earthquake design components, including shear walls, resiliency, ground motion, and story drift and deflection, among others.

Document describing advancement in factory built housing innovations.

Article describing utility rates, net metering policies, installation costs, financial incentives, and other info for both consumers who are interested in installing renewable energy systems and for energy justice and clean energy advocates.

Guide developed to help contractors, building operators, and city officials successfully adopt cool roof and pavement technology.

Website article describing the advantages and disadvantages of AC and DC battery energy storage systems and inverters for solar power systems.

Standard outlining industry procedure for sizing residential duct systems.

Guide describing advanced framing, a system of construction framing techniques designed to optimize material usage and increase energy efficiency.

The research report outlines a practical and cost-effective strategy utilizing central HVAC systems to optimize humidity control and ventilation in energy-efficient homes located in hot-humid climates, demonstrating significant improvements without requiring complex equipment upgrades.

Webpage from Suntegrity Solar describing different backup power generator options to prepare for future power outages.

Website providing comparison charts and reviews of battery energy storage systems for solar power systems.

YouTube channel featuring 90+ videos to educate Bay Area homeowners and contractors about seismic retrofitting, including information for various home and construction types.

Article describing how demand plumbing systems send cold water back to the water heater until hot water arrives at the sink, shower or other fixture where it is needed.

Document focusing on the design and wall components that contribute to a pressure equalized rain screen wall, including the frequency of the weep holes and other brick masonry rain screen wall requirements.

Website with consumer and contractor information about building codes and regulations for solar water heating systems.

Presentation about advanced framing techniques.

A comprehensive list of professional certifications offered by the Building Performance Institute. The webpage includes links to overviews of the different certificates, certification scheme handbooks, and directions for taking certification exams and recertification.

Website providing CAD files and drawings of advanced framing details.

Training manual on how to locate ducts within conditioned space and compact design.

Webpage providing information on how window shading can reduce heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.

Volume II of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to design, construction, and renovation of homes located in coastal environments.

Study investigating measured cooling energy performance in side-by-side identical homes with varying roof types, including cool roof technologies.

Document containing a 3D drawing (CAD) of advanced framing details.

Webpage with instructions for heat pump installers to choose the most suitable type of heat pump system, according to a project’s specific requirements.

Document for contractors detailing how to prioritize, control, and configure heat pumps in a residence that uses two heating systems.

Document for customers describing the benefits of two-system controls for homes, including information answering how, when, why, and how two-system controls with multiple heating sources are employed.

ENERGY STAR webpage discussing the costs and benefits of cool roofs.

Web page providing information on the types of cool roofs and their benefits to consumers.

Tool developed by LBNL to calculate potential savings from increasing wall and roof solar reflectance.

Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of finished and unfinished metal roofing systems on cooling energy performance in a test facility.

Webpage from FireSafe Marin explaining the different landscaping strategies near homes to lower the risk of a home's ignition from wildfire.

Standard describing prediction, mitigation, and reduction of moisture damage to the building envelope, materials, components, systems, and furnishings, depending on climate, construction type, and HVAC system operation; the webstore allows preview or full purchase.

This study focuses on the design, construction, and performance of the interior chase approach as implemented by five different builders in Texas, North Carolina, and Florida.

Guide describing design recommendations to ensure that electric vehicle charging stations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act

Wildfire resistant home checklist from Murray Milne, a professor of architecture at UCLA, who outlines seven steps to take to improve a home's chance of survival during a wildfire.

A guide on the use of rain barrels for greater water efficiency and use in gardens and lawns.

A research paper exploring the installation and mounting of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on rooftops and the challenges faced by system designers and installers.

Website for the U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon competition.

Simple web-based tool allowing homeowners to calculate the potential savings from installing a cool roof.

A PDF containing the SERC Solar PV System Field-Inspection Checklist.

Checklist describing solar water heating recommendations per the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program.