Library

Document reviewing four cold-climate northern Illinois energy efficiency retrofit programs to identify practices, tools, and approaches to streamline and reduce costs of comprehensive retrofits, and to improve the consistency of audit and retrofit delivery practices across different programs.

Report detailing the effects of replacing PSC motors with more efficient, variable-speed motors.

Webpage providing tips for installing and maintaining an evaporative cooler.

Article describing RESNET guidance on evaporative coolers.

Article describing how evaporative coolers work and how to maintain them.

Web article describing the evolution of evaporative coolers, water usage of evaporative coolers, and links to information on selecting an evaporative cooler.

Article describing a study of the potential to use heat pumps to heat and cool homes across the United States, including cold climate locations like Alaska.

Article describing benefits of ECM motors and how they can be installed as retrofit motors in HVAC equipment.

Flyer from the City of Ellensburg WA describing what an excess flow valve is, how they work, and associated costs.

Website for gas utility customers describing the installation of excess flow valves to stop the flow of natural gas into a home in the event of a line rupture.

Webpage describing what excess flow valves are, how they work, and the installation process.

Utility webpage describing the monetary costs associated with excess flow valves for TECO in Florida.

Expert meeting identifying installation practices that provide the best installed efficiency for residential gas furnaces, explain how AFUE and field efficiency can differ, and investigate the impact of installation practices on the efficiency and long-term durability of the furnace.

Expert meeting held to discuss simplified space conditioning systems in low load homes, including the relationship between advanced thermal enclosures, space conditioning systems and comfort.

Expert meeting held to review and discuss results and future plans for research to improve the performance of hydronic heating systems using condensing boilers and baseboard convectors.

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.

Newsletter reviewing federal disaster policy, the research basis for resilience, and three models of building resilient communities.

Short guide from FEMA describing how to anchor tall bookcases and file cabinets during seismic events.

Guide providing homeowners tips on how to secure bookcases and other heavy furniture with brackets and child-proof drawer and cabinet locks.

Website providing links to scalable guidance and tools about the importance of earthquake mitiation to the private sector, its owners, managers, and employees.

Activity sheets describing questions and preparedness action items for a variety of disasters including floods, fires, earthquakes, and winter weather.

Brochure detailing how to latch and lock cabinets and drawers to prevent injury to residents of the home.

Information sheet with an analysis of mini split heat pump systems.

Report on field monitoring of inverter-driven ASHPs in cold-climate homes.

Technical report on a field validation study that utilizes low-cost indoor air quality sensors to assess a smart ventilation system's effectiveness in maintaining acceptable indoor humidity in low-load homes in humid environments, revealing that while the smart ventilation algorithm demonstrated...

Website containing resources from the nonprofit FLASH, which "is the country’s leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters."

This five-page brochure contains basic information on flood cleanup with illustrations and links to more detailed information.

A fact sheet on how to prepare for a natural disaster by storing food and water through an emergency food supply.

Webpage describing the safety hazards associated with natural gas and tips on how to avoid these hazards by a step process of turning off natural gas service to a home and restoring service afterwards.

Brochure for natural gas utility customers describing seismic valves and excess flow valves for homes.

Webpage describing when and how to safely turn off the natural gas to the home during an emergency.

Website providing certifications and codes for automatic gas shut off valves in the state of California.

Webpage with certification requirements for excess flow and earthquake valves from California's Division of the State Architect (DSA).

Report investigating the status of the geothermal heat pump (GHP) industry and technology in the United States, assembling GHP energy savings potential, identifying key barriers to application of GHPs, and identifying actions that could accelerate adoption of GHPs.

Website with information about ENERGY STAR criteria for geothermal heat pumps.

Website highlighting the DOE Building Technologies Office Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings Initiative, including technical reports, other publications, resources, and presentations.

Website article discussing the economics of ground source heat pumps.

Report presenting a cold climate project examining and alternative approach to ground source heat pump ground loop design.

Factsheet describing the uses and benefits of ground-source heat pumps for affordable housing, assisted living, dorms and hotels.

Factsheet describing how to install air source heat pumps for residential heating and cooling in cold climates.

Factsheet describing how to install air source heat pumps for residential heating and cooling in cold climates.

Guide by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships on how to size heat pumps in a cold climate.

Webpage providing maps and information to assess the particular hazards and risks for an area.

A ENERGY STAR guide on efficient heating, ventilation and cooling systems in residential homes.

Report describing the various heat pump retrofit options for multifamily buildings in the U.S., segmented by building typology and heating system, to support better environmental, economic, and health outcomes.

Presentation about heat pump water heater modeling using EnergyPlus.

Article discussing the advantages of using heat pumps and/or hydronic forced air heat instead of furnaces in high-performance homes.

Report providing information for HVAC designers, installers, and consumers about air source heat pumps.

Webpage describing federal regulation related to excess flow valves on residential natural gas lines.

Report presenting seismic design and construction guidance for one- and two-family houses for homebuilders, knowledgeable homeowners, and other non-engineers.