Library

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.

Report covering insulating crawlspaces.

Article describing the process of constructing concrete walls

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.

Report providing guidance on designing buildings to be flood resistant.

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.

Report providing an introduction to the NEHRP recommended seismic provisions for new buildings and other structures.

Study presenting generalized results regarding the effect of surface orientation on annual incident solar radiation for locations in the United States.

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.

Document talking about the topic Energy-Efficient Florida Home Building.

Information sheet with details on a building enclosure designed for Albuquerque, NM, as an example for building enclosures built for hot-dry and mixed-dry climates.

DOE-sponsored report describing the experimental setup and results of field studies on using interior cellular shading attachments to reduce solar heat gain in summer and reduce heat loss in winter.

Report describing the methods and results of a field evaluation of the energy performance of cellular shade window coverings.

DOE-sponsored report describing the experimental setup and results of field studies on using exterior fabric shading attachments to reduce solar heat gain, reduce glare, and improve comfort.

Study characterizing how foundation heat exchangers (FHXs) used in residential ground source heat pump systems represent a potential cost savings due to their lesser first cost over other types of heat exchangers.

Documents describing the similarities and differences between the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) minimum requirements and the requirements of the International Codes® (I-Codes®) and ASCE 24, Flood Resistant Design and Construction, a standard referenced by the I-Codes., and illustrating...

Fact sheet discussing designs for prefabricated safe rooms built to ICC 500 standards mentioned in FEMA P-361.

Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of various roof types on cooling energy performance in a test facility.

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

Article describing the effective R-values of various subslab insulation products, including foil bubble pack.

Website with information for consumers about solar thermal systems for homes.