Library

Article in the SIPA Technical Bulletin (No. 11) comparing the earthquake resistance of light-frame wood shear wall construction to residential construction with structural insulated panels (SIPS).

Information sheet briefly summarizing double stud wall construction including the advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Information sheet briefly summarizing double stud with spray foam wall construction including the advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Information sheet briefly summarizing truss wall construction including the advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Expert meeting describing meeting details for key innovations for adding energy efficiency upgrades to maintenance projects.

Report presenting the process of a residential retrofit project for houses in the states of Florida and Alabama, including findings at the time of reporting and highlights of the first home to meet the target HERS Index of 70.

Report on high-R wall design called extended plate and beam that uses foam sheathing insulation with wall framing.

Report describing a project focused on the use of home energy ratings as a tool to promote energy retrofits in existing homes.

Report outlining the energy upgrade package implemented in Ft. Benning, GA, Indianhead Townhomes project and the findings of the Southface Energy Institute's post-renovation analysis.

Report detailing field walk-through evaluations, energy simulations for projected savings with exterior insulation upgrades, building envelope energy improvement cost estimates, and installation and maintenance of monitoring equipment and data.

Guide providing information on using exterior foam insulating sheathing in building wall assemblies to enhance thermal performance.

Document providing supplemental information for code enforcement professionals about header hangers in bearing walls.

Document providing guidance about building healthy homes using building science principles.

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Research study investigating the factors influencing consumer adoption of HEDs and evaluating the resulting electricity consumption.

Guide discussing observations, recommendations, and technical guidance as a result of Hurricane Katrina

A document aimed at reducing the vulnerability of a gable end roof to wind damage in a hurricane.

Book providing project management guidance in maintaining satisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) of occupied buildings undergoing renovation or construction.

Journal article detailing laboratory and simulation studies quantifying the impact that heat pump and air conditioner installation faults have on system capacity and efficiency.

Research study describing the impact resistance performance of advanced framed wall systems with insulating sheathing as the primary sheathing from wind blown debris.

Report discussing the importance of durability and energy efficiency in building construction.

Report using a field test plan to evaluate the success of implementing energy efficiency upgrades at the community scale incorporating whole-house systems integrated measures package (SIMP).

Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.

Report on two approaches to retrofitting existing double-stud walls.

Report describing an analysis method for determining optimal residential energy efficiency retrofit packages and applies the analysis method to a 1960s-era home in eight U.S. cities.

FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team Report describing damages from Hurricane Michael in Florida in Oct. 2018 and recommendations for future hurricane preparedness.

Report discussing development of scopes of work and quality management for builders in mixed-humid climates.

Information sheet about the National Residential Efficiency Measures Database, a public database that characterizes the performance and costs of common residential energy efficiency measures.

Report investigating what motivates remodelers to become energy-focused and what technical knowledge that need to be energy-focused.

Document providing supplemental information for code enforcement professionals about headers in nonbearing walls.

Report briefly reviewing past research on the effects of occupant behavior on residential energy use and then covering a two year pilot evaluation of a low cost residential energy feedback system installed in twenty case study homes in Florida.

Research study identifying best practices of three successful high performance, custom home builders in the upper Midwest.

Document outlining the approach to quality assurance in the construction process as recommended by Building Science Corporation for new residential construction.

Report designed to help a builder understand quality management and its role in transitioning from conventional to HPH building and remodeling.

Webpage describing the Quality Install Tool, an open-source web app designed to simplify, standardize, and expedite the creation of high-quality installation documentation for HVAC installations and efficiency upgrades.

Document containing some of the basic characteristics for energy performance, durability, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality that should be met in all high performance homes.

U.S. DOE report summarizing findings from literature and research relevant to HVAC installation practices.

Report describing research efforts focused on examining the audit reports for quality, comprehensiveness, and consistency.

Fact sheet describing how to install bracing to retrofit roof dormers for increased wind resistance.

Report about a tool developed to enable users to compare a typical 1970s ranch home against an IECC 2009 code-compliant home of the same configuration and against the 70s base case plus retrofits.

Information sheet describing solar PV upgrade for an existing homes.

Information sheet describing tankless hot water heating systems in existing homes.

Information sheet describing solar hot water systems in existing homes.

Information sheet about envelope and roof moisture control retrofit for a home.

Technical study exploring the impact of different installation faults on heat pump performance in a single-family house.

Report summarizing commissioning, short-term testing, and analysis that occurred before, during, and just after the actual retrofit of the Bay Ridge project.

Paper describing the development and testing of an affordable net-zero energy house in Lenoir City, Tennessee.

Webpage describing the STEP campaign encouraging the use of smart diagnostic tools to reduce installation faults.

Research study presenting a unique opportunity to both identify and evaluate deep retrofit measures that are practical and potentially cost effective for the retrofit market, as well as review the cost effectiveness of the Passive House design approach for achieving energy savings in deep retrofits.