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.

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

Fact sheet describing air-sealing concerns and remedies, including HRV/ERV installation, caulking, spray foam, and weatherstrip installation.

Article describing how to stop air leaks around the windows and doors of a home.

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.

Information sheet from FEMA on preparation for extreme heat, including measures for keeping homes cool.

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.

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.

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...

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.

Fact sheet describing weatherstripping materials, types, expected life expectancy, installation requirements, and pros and cons.

Online textbook describing energy, including energy types, and energy use in homes.

ENERGY STAR specifications for residential window, door and skylights, Version 6, effective January 1, 2015.

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.

Fact sheet discussing safe room and storm shelter door assemblies along with ICC® 500 compliance.

A website containing FEMA publications on safe rooms for both residential and community use.

Report comparing a high-performance house with a code-built control home.

Report describing dry floodproofing technologies for non-residential buildings, including information about regulatory requirements, design considerations, and descriptions of floodproofing methods and equipment.

Factsheet describing garage door pressure rating requirements in high wind– prone areas.

Website describing results of research on impacts to garage doors from hurricanes, tornadoes, and high wind events.

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.

Central return designs require an open pathway between the room and the heart of the house where the return grill is located.

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

Report describing ways to retrofit a home to make it more hurricane resistant.

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 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.

Fact sheet describing residential tornado safe room doors.

Fact sheet describing methods for flashing and air-sealing windows and doors.

Information sheet about window retrofit strategies for hot-dry climates.

Information sheet describing how to select a properly sized water heater based on household usage patterns, peak demand, and heater type—whether tankless, solar, or storage-based—to ensure efficiency and adequate hot water supply.

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

Web page describing the basics of how to size and build a battery bank for electricity storage.

Standard establishing requirements for the performance and installation of gasketing systems including mortised to doors, frames or both which was published in the year 2021 and a can be purchased to be viewed in full from the ANSI webstore in the link.

Standard describing a test method measuring air-leakage rates through a building envelope under controlled pressurization and de-pressurization which was published in the year 2019 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

Standard describing two techniques for measuring air leakage rates through a building envelope in buildings that may be configured to a single zone which was published in the year 2022 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

A guide for homeowners on determining the risks from tornadoes and hurricanes and selecting a safe room type and location, as well as providing detailed plans for safe room construction.

Fact sheet describing best practices for flashing doors and windows to minimize air and water intrusion.

Article describing thermal bridging, construction practices that encourage thermal bridging, and solving thermal bridging through continuous exterior insulation.

Report sumarizing a workshop to initiate a professional discussion about eventual benefits of the application of massive technologies in US buildings.

Technical report describing the impact of thermal bridging in balcony connections, presenting alternative design strategies, performance analyses, and case studies to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in building envelopes.