Library

Study from Appalachian State University on passive solar design to take advantage of local climate zones for energy conservation.

A publication highlighting recommendations that contribute to improved overall performance in the structural shell and focus on good connection details to tie together exterior walls, roofs and floors.

Power Point PDF presentation on historical architecture in New Mexico

Information sheet about insulating slabs.

Fact sheet providing background and technical information on Trombe wall design

Webpage explaining how to site and orient a house to take advantage of the solar path.

Information sheet containing images and descriptions of cantilevers.

Carpet and Rug Institute website homepage.

Online tool for thermal comfort calculations and visualizations SoftwareX 12, 100563 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2020.100563

Climate Consultant is a software tool for helping architects, builders, contractor, homeowners, and students to understand their local climate.

Website discussing building foundation problems caused by settling soil in Colorado.

Information guide describing issues with concrete floors, in multiple climate zones.

Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.

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

Study testing the effect of fan cooling on healthy adults at increased ambient temperatures.

Brochure providing information on the design of the EPA Region 8 headquarters in Denver, CO.

Report about an experimental evaluation conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

Technical report describing the impact of orientation on thermal comfort.

Link to all versions of ASCE/SEI 24, a standard describing the minimum requirements and expected performance for the siting and design and construction of buildings and structures in flood hazard areas that are subject to building code requirements.

Document describing the emissions criteria for carpets, cushions, and adhesives to qualify as those with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions under the Carpet and Rug Institute's Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality Testing Program.

Article from Washington Post on passive cooling measures for homes during extreme heat.

Article from The Earthbound Report on passive cooling design strategies for homes located in hot climates.

Study evaluating opportunities for reducing cooling energy use in a hot dry climate through the use of shading and window options.

Book detailing passive cooling methods including airflow methods, evaporative cooling, and earth cooling.

Fact sheet defining “lowest floor,” identifying common construction practices that are violations of NFIP regulations, and discussing benefits of exceeding the NFIP minimum building elevation requirements; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...

Glossary of terms used by the National Flood Insurance Program

Report about an experimental evaluation has been conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

Report describing the experimentally evaluated potential of a novel residential night cooling concept.

Article from Smarter Homes NZ on home building techniques that incorporate passive cooling.

Book describing passive cooling techniques from a technical and academic perspective.

Article from Williams College on the key elements of passive solar design for homes.

Paper summarizing passive and low-energy cooling systems for buildings.

Report providing information on performance of mortars and concrete containing PCMs.

City of Plymouth webpage providing information on the Plymouth Community Center Project.

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

Data tables on U.S. renewable energy consumption and general trends in the market for renewable energy.

Webpage containing downloadable fact sheets covering carpet-related topics including Indoor Air Quality, Asthma and Allergy, Cleaning Products, and Environmental Sustainability.

How hard can it be to insulate a flat sheet of concrete? I mean you only have three choices – on the top, on the bottom, or on the edge. OK, you might have some combination of the three as well.

Tool determining the most economical and efficient photovoltaic array location and position.

Document providing incident solar radiation data and window overhang sizing guidance for multiple locations across the U.S.

Handheld solar site analysis tool capturing whole-horizon images for a site and generating shading analysis reports.

Article providing fundamental information and recommendations for shading windows for energy savings.

Research project evaluating the pre-and post-retrofit energy consumption of a marine climate retrofit, compare actual energy use to original predictions, and identify opportunities for cost savings in other similar retrofits in this climate.

Study on the effects of wind, radiation, and pressure on apparent temperature.

Study comparing the thermal performance of phase change materials to concrete construction during heat waves.

Webpage providing guidance on the use of thermal mass with passive heating and cooling strategies.

Technical research paper explaining how thermal mass influences heating and cooling energy needs.

Design guide providing technical information regarding building with thermal mass.

Article detailing a case study in which thermal mass was used as part of an overall Net Zero solution for a university building.