Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 223 results:

2009 Protecting Manufactured Homes from Floods and Other Hazards, FEMA P-85

2019

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Fact sheet describing a report providing best practices for reducing damages from floods to manufactured homes.

2010 Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings, FEMA P-804

2019

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

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

2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, Volume 1: Part 1 Provisions, Part 2 Commentary, FEMA P-1050-1

2015

Building Seismic Safety Council,

et al.

BSSC,

NIBS,

FEMA,

NEHRP

Guide providing engineering seismic design and building practices based on post-earthquake research.

2020 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, Seventh Edition

2020

International Code Council

ICC

2020 energy efficiency code for the state of Florida.

2020 Minnesota State Mechanical Code MN rule chapter 1346

2020

Rosival Chris

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry,

MNDLI

A presentation on the 2020 State Mechanical Code for easier understanding.

A Guide to Preserving Trees in Development Projects

2022

Elmendorf William,

Gerhold Henry,

Kuhns Larry

Pennsylvania State University Extension,

PennState Extension

Article describing tree health, environmental considerations, and details on how to preserve trees.

A Practical Guide to Climate-resilient Buildings & Communities

2021

United Nations Environment Programme

UNEP

Guidance document from the UN environment programme on climate-resilient buildings and communities practices, including guidance on heat waves, drought, hurricanes, and flooding.

A Practical Guide to Cool Roofs and Cool Pavements

2012

Global Cool Cities Alliance,

R20 Regions of Climate Action

GCCA,

R20

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

ACEEE 2024 Summer Study on Energy-Efficiency in Buildings Factsheet: Window Coverings that Can Take the Heat

2024

Katherine Cort,

Theresa Gilbride

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Factsheet describing how window shades can keep out unwanted heat, detailing the most effective products and practices.

Affordable Passive Solar Planbook for North Carolina

2005

Appalachian State University

AEC,

App State

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

Air Sealing That Works

2018

Bruton Jack,

Baczek Steven

Journal of Light Construction

Article describing how an airtight home shell helps achieve a tight envelope that is energy efficient and cost effective.

All About Shade Trees

2022

Huber Jeanne

This Old House

Article describing shade trees and how to plant, maintain, and replace them.

An Experimental Analysis of the Impact of Tree Shade on Electricity Consumption

2009

Laband David N,

Sophocleus John P

International Society of Arboriculture

Paper describing an experiment to quantify shade tree impacts on cooling-related electricity consumption, finding that there may be sizable benefits in hot regions.

APA The Engineered Wood Association Homepage

2020

APA - The Engineered Wood Association

American Plywood Association,

APA

Website homepage of APA – The Engineered Wood Association, a nonprofit trade association combining the research efforts of scientists and engineers, APA promotes new solutions and improved processes that benefit the entire industry.

Architecture of New Mexico

2022

Albuquerque Museum

City of Albuquerque,

CABQ

Power Point PDF presentation on historical architecture in New Mexico

Attic Venting, Attic Moisture, and Ice Dams

1999

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

CMHC,

Government of Canada

Article by the Canadian Government on attic ventilation and considerations for moisture and ice dams.

Basement Insulation Systems, BA-0202

2002

Building Science Corporation

BSC

Report describing approaches to insulating basements in homes built to meet Energy Star levels of performance of heat loss reduction.

Be Prepared For Extreme Heat, FEMA V-1004

2018

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

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

Benefits of Seismic Upgrades: Is Earthquake Retrofitting Worth It in CA?

2020

California Earthquake Authority

CEA

Article from California Earthquake Authority on the benefits of retrofitting homes to withstand earthquake forces, with a focus on foundations, walls, and chimneys.

Benefits of Trees

2022

Arbor Day Foundation

Article describing the benefits trees provide through quotes and anecdotes.

BSC Information - Slab Edge Insulation for All Climates, Sheet 513

2009

Building Science Corporation

BSC

Information sheet about insulating slabs.

Building in Extreme Cold, BSI-031

2010

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing the control layers (air, thermal, and vapor barriers) needed to build homes successfully in very cold locations.

Building Orientation for Optimum Energy

2022

Gromicko Nick,

Gromicko Ben

InterACHI

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

Building Thermal Performance, Extreme Heat, and Climate Change

2017

Nahlik Matthew J.,

et al.

American Society of Civil Engineers,

ASCE

Article published by American Society of Civil Engineers on different building types and their effectiveness resisting extreme heat from a building envelope perspective.

Bulk Water Control Methods for Foundations, BA-1015

2011

Lstiburek Joseph W,

Ueno Kohta

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report about the fundamental concepts that must be understood at the planning or initial nspection of existing homes regarding surface and ground water management.

Capillarity - Small Sacrifices, BSI-011

2014

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing correct ways to eliminate water damage by incorporating a sacrificial layer to foundation walls and footings.

CBE Thermal Comfort Tool

2020

Tartarini Federico,

et al.

Center for the Built Environment,

CBE,

UC Berkeley,

SinBerBEST,

Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore,

BEARS

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

Climate Change Indicators in the United States

2024

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Website providing data indicating climate change.

Climate Consultant

2021

Milne Murray

Society of Building Science Educators,

SBSE,

University of California Los Angeles,

UCLA

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

Climate Safe Housing - Strategies for Multifamily Building Resilience

2023

Enterprise Community Partners

ECP

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

Climate Science Special Report 4th National Climate Assessment Vol 1

2017

U.S. Global Change Research Program

USGCRP,

Climate Science Special Report,

CSSR

Report assessing the science of climate change with a focus on the U.S.

Closed Crawl Space Performance: Proof of Concept in the Production Builder Marketplace

2008

Dastur Cyrus,

Mauceri Maria,

Hannas Benjamin

Advanced Energy

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.

Closed Crawl Spaces - An Introduction to Design, Construction and Performance

2005

Dastur Cyrus,

Davis Bruce,

Warren William E

Advanced Energy

Guide about designing and installing closed crawlspaces in the Southeast.

Coastal Construction Manual - Principles and Practices of Planning, Siting, Designing, Constructing, and Maintaining Residential Buildings in Coastal Areas, Fourth edition, Volume I, FEMA P-55

2011

Coulbourne William,

et al.

Federal Emergency Management Agency,

FEMA,

Applied Technology Council,

ATC,

URS Group,

DK Low and Associates,

Atkins,

TLSmith Consulting

Volume 1 of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to planning, siting, and risk management for homes constructed in coastal environments.

Collapsible Soils

2011

Colorado Geological Survey

CGS

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

Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Roofing Systems on Residential Cooling Energy Demand in Florida

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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

Concrete Floor Problems, BSI-003

2008

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

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

Concrete Floors and Moisture, 2nd Edition

2008

Kanare Howard M

Portland Cement Association

Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.

Concrete Solutions, BSI-118

2020

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report covering insulating crawlspaces.

Concrete Wall Construction Process Including Materials

2022

The Constructor

Article describing the process of constructing concrete walls

Construction & Design Considerations in Warmer Climates

2022

Zero Energy Project

Guidance from Zero Energy Project on construction techniques for warmer climates, such as home orientation, and insulation requirements.

Cool Colored Materials for Roofs

2004

Akbari Hashem,

et al.

California Energy Commission,

CEC,

Public Interest Energy Research Program,

PIER,

Laboratory Directed Research and Development,

LDRD,

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Study describing efforts and outcomes in developing color-pigmented roofing products with coatings to increase solar reflectance.

Cool Neighborhoods: The Measurement of Small Scale Heat Islands

2000

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Vieira Robin K

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC,

European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy,

ECEEE

Paper describing the effects of tree canopies on residential climates indicating tree cover to be beneficial to climate conditions

Cool Roofs

2023

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA,

ENERGY STAR

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

Cool Roofs

2022

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing 'cool roofs' and their usage for passive home cooling.

Cool Roofs Help Reduce Energy Costs

2023

ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR,

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA

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

Cool Solutions: The Whole House Fan

2018

Mott-Smith John

City of Davis,

State of California

Article describing the use of whole-house fans to provide cooling in the region surrounding Sacramento, CA.

Cool Surfaces Savings Explorer

2018

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LBNL

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

Cooling Related Performance of Finished and Unfinished Metal Roofing Systems

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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.

Cooling with a Whole-House Fan

2022

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

DOE Energy Saver webpage summarizing the use of whole-house fans for cooling.