Library

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 about an experimental evaluation conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

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

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 on the topic of performance guarantees and financing vehicles for energy efficiency upgrades.

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.

Report that demonstrates the durability, constructability, and cost-effectiveness of the extended plate and beam (EP&B) wall system for new construction housing projects in compliance with the International Energy Conservation Code, addressing moisture risk management and high-performance envelope...

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...

Homepage for Extension Foundation, a partner of the Cooperative Extension System, whose goal is providing an interactive learning environment delivering the best, most researched knowledge from the best land-grant university minds across America.

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.

Webpage from LSU AgCenter answering frequently asked questions after gutting a flooded home, including mitigation strategies for future floods.

FEMA guidance for flood damage in areas prone to flooding.

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.

Updated wildfire risk assessment, community impacts, and building science measures following the disastrous 2020 wildfire season in the western U.S.

Wildfire construction guidelines from the Colorado State Forest Service focusing on site design and building materials to mitigate damage to homes in wildfire-prone areas.

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."

Guide from Building Science Corporation on how to construct a flood and hurricane resistant home.

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.

Animated video demonstrating the continuous load path of a hurricane on a house.

Website describing the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)'s Fortified Home program which offers home builders standards and guidance for constructing and renovating homes for increased disaster resistance.

Checklist providing specific information about the type of residential building eligible for designation consideration in the FORTIFIED Home program.

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.

Conference paper describing how retrofits were used in a Florida home to change it from a high energy user to a near zero-energy home.

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.

Report describing the cost-effectiveness and performance of all-electric, zero net energy multifamily buildings in California, detailing technical challenges and providing recommendations for design, construction, codes, standards, and operations to support future projects.

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.

Guidance from HUD for volunteer team leaders, project managers and supervisors who work in recovery and rebuilding after natural disasters.

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

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Webpage listing research projects studying deep energy retrofits of homes in Florida.