Library

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

Information sheet that summarizes Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction including advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Research study simulation adapting and applies the general framework described in Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes for self-testing residential building energy model calibration methods.

Report exploring feasibility of designing prescriptive retrofit measure packages for typical Chicago region multifamily buildings in order to achieve 25% source energy savings.

Report analyzing results in crawlspace retrofits in multifamily buildings.

Report summarizing post-retrofit results for 13 existing homes in a deep energy retrofit pilot program.

Study investigating homeowner measure package choices in the Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program compared to cost-optimal choices determined through Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software.

Report evaluating opportunities to improve and streamline delivery of residential retrofit measures.

Research study documenting market-ready energy solutions to improve the efficiency of new affordable housing in the marine climate of Washington State.

Report examining implementation of an exterior insulation and over-clad strategy for brick masonry buildings in Chicago.

Technical report describing the evaluation of four different ventilation strategies for providing make-up air in high-performance, new construction multifamily buildings in the Northeast, emphasizing the challenges posed by increasing airtightness standards and the variability of system performance...

Case study describing novel technique for installing exterior spray foam on foundation walls that uses high-pressure water sprayer and a “hydro vac” to remove dirt along the foundation wall.

Report about an expert meeting focused on issues surrounding cladding attachment and performance of walls with exterior insulating sheathing.

Expert meeting report describing the need for greater understanding of foundation systems including moisture and insulation issues.

Expert Meeting about interior insulation retrofit of mass masonry wall assemblies held on July 30, 2011.

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.

Fact sheet describing the Extended Plate Wall (EPW) a system that incorporates a 2-inch layer of foam plastic insulative sheathing within the framing for top and bottom plates, streamlining air sealing, window and door installation, weather resistive barrier application, and cladding attachment for...

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is interested in finding cost-effective solutions for deep energy retrofits (DERs) related to exterior wall insulation in a cold climate, with targets of 50% peak load reduction and 50% space conditioning energy savings.

Research study developing baseline engineering analysis to support the installation of thick layers of exterior insulation (2 in. to 8 in.) on existing masonry walls and wood framed walls.

Article from Building Science Corporation on construction techniques for extreme heat conditions in Dubai and Las Vegas.

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

Report of a field evaluation of four novel roof designs to see how each design would reduce space-conditioned energy use so that the knowledge gained could be applied to the design of new manufactured homes.

Report describing a simple and general way to generate House Simulation Protocol (HSP)-consistent internal sensible and latent loads in unoccupied homes.

Article discussing flow-through assemblies of walls.

Journal article describing lessons learned from updating a 16-year-old deep-energy retrofit.

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

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 about development of effective strategies to reduce the overall building energy use in line with Building America goals in this modestly priced market rate project.

Handbook providing guidance on the design and construction of foundations for homes, including insulation, air sealing, and water management details for basements, crawlspaces, and slabs.

A guideline containing fire sprinkler insulation requirements from the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department.

Article describing what the building codes say about frost-protected shallow foundations as a cost-saving alternative to conventional concrete foundations.

Guides describing frost-protected shallow foundations as an alternative method for building an energy-efficient foundation for a house in a cold climate that uses less concrete and saves on labor.

Article describing frost-protected shallow foundations with construction drawing details.

Website with prepopulated information about the United States renewable resources.

Report covering the fire performance of combustible cladding over combustible insulation.

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.

Research report presenting results of short term tests on measures used in an energy efficiency retrofit project in California.

Report describing a laboratory assessment that provides insights into space requirements and venting strategies for heat pump water heaters (HPWH) to enhance retrofit installations and provide actionable guidance for manufacturers, designers, engineers, installers, and owners.

Report discussing the potential energy savings of new high-efficiency downlights, and the results of product testing to date.

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Document providing a roadmap to aid Habitat for Humanity affiliates in building high performing houses by using materials and techniques that are affordable, do not add any maintenance burden, and are volunteer friendly.

Report assessing slab-on-grade foundation insulation energy savings.

Report that considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.

Report providing testing methodology to evaluate structural rim header designs over openings up to 6 ft. wide and applicable to one- and two-story homes.

Report with test results that serve as a baseline of data for further material tests of other high-R wall systems and for comparison to whole-house wind pressure testing.

Online calculator for estimating payback of adding additional insulation to your house.

Report documenting short-term test results of the Shift House and compares the results of Passive House Planning Package and Building Energy Optimization modeling of the project.

Report sumarizing results of an ICF investigation of side-by-side houses in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Article summarizing for potential homeowners items to check or demand from the builder in designing a home for a cold climate.

Website that explains and provides diagrams for covering up above-grade rigid foam insulation.