Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 110 results:

A Guide to Residential Energy Storage and Rooftop Solar: State Net Metering Policies and Utility Rate Tariff Structures

2024

Kerby Jessica,

Tarekegne Bethel

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

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.

A Practical Guide to Cool Roofs and Cool Pavements

2012

Global Cool Cities Alliance,

R20 Regions of Climate Action

GCCA,

R20

Guide developed to help contractors, building operators, and city officials successfully adopt cool roof and pavement technology.

AC vs. DC Coupling Energy Storage Systems

2021

Miller Lucas

Mayfield Renewables

Website article describing the advantages and disadvantages of AC and DC battery energy storage systems and inverters for solar power systems.

Affordable Passive Solar Planbook for North Carolina

2005

Appalachian State University

AEC,

App State

Study from Appalachian State University on passive solar design to take advantage of local climate zones for energy conservation.

Architecture of New Mexico

2022

Albuquerque Museum

City of Albuquerque,

CABQ

Power Point PDF presentation on historical architecture in New Mexico

Backup Power Options to Prepare for the Next Power Outage

2019

Suntegrity Solar

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

Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Comparison

2021

Clean Energy Reviews

CER

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

Building a Better Trombe Wall

1998

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL

Fact sheet providing background and technical information on Trombe wall design

Building Codes and Regulations for Solar Water Heating Systems

2012

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

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

Building Orientation for Optimum Energy

2022

Gromicko Nick,

Gromicko Ben

InterACHI

Webpage explaining how to site and orient a house to take advantage of the solar path.

CBE Thermal Comfort Tool

2020

Tartarini Federico,

et al.

Center for the Built Environment,

CBE,

UC Berkeley,

SinBerBEST,

Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore,

BEARS

Online tool for thermal comfort calculations and visualizations SoftwareX 12, 100563 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2020.100563

Climate Consultant

2021

Milne Murray

Society of Building Science Educators,

SBSE,

University of California Los Angeles,

UCLA

Climate Consultant is a software tool for helping architects, builders, contractor, homeowners, and students to understand their local climate.

Climate Safe Housing - Strategies for Multifamily Building Resilience

2023

Enterprise Community Partners

ECP

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

Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Roofing Systems on Residential Cooling Energy Demand in Florida

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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

Cool Roofs

2023

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA,

ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR webpage discussing the costs and benefits of cool roofs.

Cool Roofs Help Reduce Energy Costs

2023

ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR,

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA

Web page providing information on the types of cool roofs and their benefits to consumers.

Cool Surfaces Savings Explorer

2018

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LBNL

Tool developed by LBNL to calculate potential savings from increasing wall and roof solar reflectance.

Cooling Related Performance of Finished and Unfinished Metal Roofing Systems

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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.

Discussion of Strategies for Mounting Photovoltaic Arrays on Rooftops

2001

Barkaszi Stephen F,

Dunlop James P

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

A research paper exploring the installation and mounting of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on rooftops and the challenges faced by system designers and installers.

DOE Solar Decathlon Website

2023

Solar Decathlon,

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Website for the U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon competition.

DOE Steep Slope Calculator

2005

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

U.S. Department of Energy

ORNL,

DOE

Simple web-based tool allowing homeowners to calculate the potential savings from installing a cool roof.

DOE Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers Program

2020

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

A PDF containing the SERC Solar PV System Field-Inspection Checklist.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Solar Hot Water-Ready Checklist (Encouraged)

2019

Zero Energy Ready Home,

U.S. Department of Energy

ZERH,

DOE

Checklist describing solar water heating recommendations per the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program.

Effects of Tilt and Azimuth on Annual Incident Solar Radiation for United States Locations

2001

Christensen Craig B,

Barker Greg M

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Mountain Energy Partnership

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

Electric Fan Use for Cooling During Hot Weather: A Biophysical Modelling Study

2021

Morris Nathan B,

et al.

University of Sydney,

University of Copenhagen,

University of Montreal,

Monash University,

The Lancet Planetary Health,

The Lancet Group

Study testing the effect of fan cooling on healthy adults at increased ambient temperatures.

Electricity Resilience in Florida: Hurricane Dorian vs Tesla Powerwall

2019

Parker Danny S

CleanTechnica

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.

Energy-Efficient Florida Home Building, Third Printing

1992

Vieira Robin K,

Sheinkopf Kenneth G,

Sonne Jeffrey K

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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

EPA Region 8 Headquarters

2007

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Brochure providing information on the design of the EPA Region 8 headquarters in Denver, CO.

Evaluation of Cellular Shades in the PNNL Lab Homes

2016

Sullivan Greg P,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

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.

Evaluation of Cellular Shades in the PNNL Lab Homes

2015

Peterson Joseph M,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

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

Evaluation of Exterior Shades at PNNL Lab Homes and Occupied Field Sites

2020

Cort Katherine A,

Hunt Walter E

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

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.

Factor of Building Orientation Direction as Determinant the Thermal Comfort Quality

2019

Rilatupa James

Sriwijaya International Conference on Science Engineering and Technology,

Tarumanagara University,

Christian University of Indonesia,

Electrochemical Society,

ECS

Technical report describing the impact of orientation on thermal comfort.

Flexible Roofing Facility: 2001 Summer Test Results

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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

For Homes

2014

Florida Solar Energy Center

FSEC

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

Geospatial Data Science

2023

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL

A website providing geospatial data , tools, and maps including data on the U.S. solar resources for solar power.

Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

2019

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Fact sheet defining a grid-interactive efficient building and its benefits.

Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

2020

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

DOE

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

Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Technical Report Series - Lighting and Electronics

2019

Nubbe Valerie,

Yamada Mary

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report evaluating lighting and electronic building technologies based on their ability to provide grid services and the type of value provided, including efficiency, load shed, load shift, and modulation.

Heat Island Group - Berkeley Lab

2023

Heat Island Group,

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LBNL

LBNL webpage introducing heat island effect and cool materials concepts, and providing links to LBNL pages explaining cool pavements, cool roofs, and cool walls.

Heat Island Group: Resources

2023

Heat Island Group,

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LBNL

LBNL webpage providing resources and tools related to cool technologies, including the SRI calculator and the DOE Cool Roof Calculator.

Heat your Water with the Sun

2003

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL

Provides consumers with general information on solar water heating systems and how to select a contractor.

High Performance Home Technologies: Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems, Volume 6

2007

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report providing an introduction to current photovoltaic and solar thermal building practices.

Home Power

2012

Sanchez

Home Power

Web article about solar site assessment.

How to Build a Zero Electric Utility Cost House

2006

Christian Jeffrey E

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy,

ACEEE

Report presenting construction methods, building products, appliances and equipment of four single-family houses that achieve dramatic energy reductions and approach “net zero energy” use.

How to Cool Your Home Without Relying on Air Conditioning

2021

Kaplan Sarah

Washington Post

Article from Washington Post on passive cooling measures for homes during extreme heat.

How to Create a Naturally Cool Building

2018

Williams Jeremy

The Earthbound Report

Article from The Earthbound Report on passive cooling design strategies for homes located in hot climates.

How To: Mounting Solar on Sips

2013

Sughrue Patrick

Premier SIPS Structural Insulated Panels,

Home Power Magazine

A structural insulated panel (SIP) roof has no embedded lumber in the structure, and therefore nothing substantial for attaching PV array and solar hot water mounts. Single or double lumber splines could be put into the panels, or I-joists at 4-foot intervals could be added.

Hybrid Inverter Comparison Chart

2021

Clean Energy Reviews

CER

Website providing comparison charts and reviews of hybrid inverters for solar power systems.

Impacts of Shading and Glazing Combinations on Residential Energy Use in a Hot Dry Climate

2000

Farrar-Nagy Sara,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Partnership for Resource Conservation,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Study evaluating opportunities for reducing cooling energy use in a hot dry climate through the use of shading and window options.

Is Battery Storage Right for You?

2021

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

SMUD

Webpage describing benefits of adding battery storage to homes and an estimation tool.