Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 52 results:

A Bridge Too Far, BSI-005

2008

Lstiburek Joseph

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing thermal bridging, construction practices that encourage thermal bridging, and solutions.

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.

Alaska Residential Building Manual, 7th Edition

2008

Deer Charlie,

et al.

University of Alaska,

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation

Manual describing best practices or home construction in Alaska and northern climates.

Architecture of New Mexico

2022

Albuquerque Museum

City of Albuquerque,

CABQ

Power Point PDF presentation on historical architecture in New Mexico

ASHRAE -Thermal Performance of Building Envelope Details for Mid- and High-Rise Buildings (1365-RP)

2011

Hershfield Morrison

ASHRAE,

American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers

Technical report describing the thermal performance of 40 common building envelope details for mid- and high-rise buildings, including analyses to optimize energy efficiency and reduce thermal bridging.

Building a Better Trombe Wall

1998

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL

Fact sheet providing background and technical information on Trombe wall design

Building Envelope Thermal Bridging Guide

2021

Hershfield Morrison

B.C. Hydro

Guide describing methodologies for assessing and mitigating thermal bridging in building envelopes, featuring detailed performance data, interface solutions, and assembly-specific strategies for energy-efficient construction.

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.

Concrete Homes

2012

Portland Cement Association

PCA

Information sheet discussing the properties and benefits of insulating concrete forms.

DOE Solar Decathlon Website

2023

Solar Decathlon,

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

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

Double Wall: Staggered or In-Line Studs?

2009

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

Steven Winter Associates

CARB,

SWA

Information sheet providing information about investigating the thermal effect of staggering the inner and outer wall studs on double walls in new construction.

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.

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 the NightCool Nocturnal Radiation Cooling Concept: Annual Performance Assessment in Scale Test Buildings Stage Gate 1B

2008

Parker Danny S,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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.

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.

Fastening Furring Strips to a Foam-Sheathed Wall

2010

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Information sheet about what length screws should be used, and how closely to space the screws when fastening furring strips to a foam-sheathed wall.

Guide to Attaching Exterior Wall Coverings through Foam Sheathing to Wood or Steel Wall Framing

2010

Foam Sheathing Coalition

FSC

Document that gives a step-by-step approach for designing attachments for cladding materials through foam sheathing.

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.

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.

Low-Energy Cooling: A Guide to the Practical Application of Passive Cooling and Cooling Conservation Measures

1986

Abrams Donald

Van Nostrand Reinhold

Book detailing passive cooling methods including airflow methods, evaporative cooling, and earth cooling.

Mass Save Deep Energy Retrofit Builder Guide, GM-1302

2013

Neuhauser Ken,

Gates Cathy,

Pettit Betsy

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Measured Natural Cooling Enhancement of a Whole House Fan

1992

Parker Danny S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

NightCool: A Nocturnal Radiation Cooling Concept

2008

Parker Danny S,

Hermelink Andreas H,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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

NightCool: Nocturnal Radiation Cooling Concept Long Term Performance Evaluation

2009

Parker Danny S,

et al.

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Report describing the experimentally evaluated potential of a novel residential night cooling concept.

Opportunities for Energy Conservation and Improved Comfort From Wind Washing Retrofits in Two-Story Homes - Part I

2010

Withers Charles R,

Cummings James B

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Report highlighting the evaluation methods used and extent of wind washing found in a study analyzing wind washing in thirty-two two-story homes.

Passive Cooling

2022

Smarter Homes NZ

Article from Smarter Homes NZ on home building techniques that incorporate passive cooling.

Passive Cooling

1989

Cook Jeffrey,

et al.

MIT Press,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

MIT

Book describing passive cooling techniques from a technical and academic perspective.

Passive Solar Design

2022

Williams College

Article from Williams College on the key elements of passive solar design for homes.

Performance and Applicability of Passive and Low-Energy Cooling Systems

1991

Givoni Baruch

University of California Los Angeles,

UCLA

Paper summarizing passive and low-energy cooling systems for buildings.

Phase Change Materials for Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Their Use in Mortars

2019

Frigione Mariaenrica,

Lettieri Mariateresa,

Sarcinella Antonella

Materials Journal

Report providing information on performance of mortars and concrete containing PCMs.

Plymouth Community Center Project

2021

City of Plymouth,

State of Minnesota

City of Plymouth,

State of Minnesota

City of Plymouth webpage providing information on the Plymouth Community Center Project.

Predicted Versus Actual Savings for a Low-Rise Multifamily Retrofit in Boulder, Colorado

2013

Arena Lois,

Williamson Jim

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report documenting actual energy savings of a retrofit project in Boulder, CO.

Renewable Energy Annual

2012

Energy Information Administration

EIA

Data tables on U.S. renewable energy consumption and general trends in the market for renewable energy.

Solar Pathfinder

2021

Solar Pathfinder

Tool determining the most economical and efficient photovoltaic array location and position.

Solar Radiation Data Manual for Buildings

Marion William,

Wilcox Stephen

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Document providing incident solar radiation data and window overhang sizing guidance for multiple locations across the U.S.

Solmetric SunEye

2021

Solmetric Inc.

Handheld solar site analysis tool capturing whole-horizon images for a site and generating shading analysis reports.

Sun Control and Shading Devices

2016

Prowler Don,

Bourg Joseph

Whole Building Design Guide

Article providing fundamental information and recommendations for shading windows for energy savings.

The Assessment of Sultriness Part II: Effects of Wind, Extra Radiation and Barometric Pressure on Apparent Temperature

1979

Steadman Robert G

American Meteorological Society,

AMS

Study on the effects of wind, radiation, and pressure on apparent temperature.

The Impact of Wall and Roof Material on the Summer Thermal Performance of Building in a Temperate Climate

2021

Staszczuk Anna,

Kuczynski Tadeusz

Energy Journal

Study comparing the thermal performance of phase change materials to concrete construction during heat waves.

Thermal Bridges Redux, BSI-062

2015

Lstiburek Joseph

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing thermal bridging, construction practices that encourage thermal bridging, and solving thermal bridging through continuous exterior insulation.

Thermal Mass

2013

Reardon Chris,

McGee Caitlin,

Milne Geoff

Australian Government

Webpage providing guidance on the use of thermal mass with passive heating and cooling strategies.

Thermal Mass and Its Effect on the Whole Building Energy Performance, Part I and II

2001

Kosny Jan

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Report sumarizing a workshop to initiate a professional discussion about eventual benefits of the application of massive technologies in US buildings.

Thermal Mass Assessment: An Explanation of the Mechanisms by Which Building Mass Influences Heating and Cooling Energy Requirements

1983

Childs Kenneth W,

Courville George E,

Bales E L

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Technical research paper explaining how thermal mass influences heating and cooling energy needs.

Thermal Mass in Building Design

2006

Baggs David,

Mortensen Neal

Australian Council of Building Design Professions Ltd,

BDP

Design guide providing technical information regarding building with thermal mass.

Thermal Mass Solutions

2015

Habian Bob

National Council of Structural Engineers Association,

NCSEA

Article detailing a case study in which thermal mass was used as part of an overall Net Zero solution for a university building.

Thermally Broken Balconies

2022

Haberli Marc,

Collins Cillian

Perkins & Will

Technical report describing the impact of thermal bridging in balcony connections, presenting alternative design strategies, performance analyses, and case studies to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in building envelopes.

Trombe Walls in Low-Energy Buildings: Practical Experiences

2004

Pless Shanti,

Torcellini Paul

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Technical conference paper discussing real world experience with Trombe walls.