Library

Book presenting the best techniques for energy and resource efficient residential construction in the colder climates of North America.

Document providing guidance to U.S. home builders who want to accept the challenge.

Report examining the cost differences between a typical home and a home constructed using wildfire-resistant materials and design features.

Guide describing measures that builders in the cold and very cold climates can take to build homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

Guidance document providing BA research teams and partners with specific information and approaches to identifying and overcoming potential barriers to Building America (BA) innovations arising in and/or stemming from codes, standards, and rating methods.

A website providing information on the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Solution Center, a source for innovations in residential building energy performance, energy efficiency, quality, affordability and comfort for more than 20 years.

Website providing information about the Title 24 building energy efficiency standards for the State of California and links to current and past standards including the 2025, 2022, 2019, and 2016 standards, etc.

California Office of the State Fire Marshal's homepage for the Building Materials Listing Program, providing builders, contractors, architects, and others with access to a database of fire alarm systems and fire-resistant construction materials including roof coverings, wall, ceiling, and floor...

California Office of the State Fire Marshal's compiled and searchable list of different building materials and their test results for fire resistance.

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

Document containing recommendations on how to brace roofs and gable end walls based on lessons learned from analyzing the destruction from hurricane Andrew.

Document with the Quality Control Checklist developed as both a guide to assist in the transition to high performance home building, and as a simplified tool to be used as part of any builder's on-site quality control procedures.

California State Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 8, Article 3, listing requirements for plumbing contractors.

Web article describing utility customer’s right to use back-up generators during emergency events, including Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).

Catalog describing FEMA earthquake-resistant construction resources.

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

Website providing disaster preparedness information and resources for residents and building owners in locations susceptible to earthquakes.

Fact sheet describing changes made to the 2010 Florida Building Code with regards to wind design loads and requirements.

News article from SFGate explaining and giving figures on how chimney failure is the most common type of damage to homes during an earthquake.

A simple three-step guide for homeowners who are looking to replace existing light bulbs with more energy-efficient, higher-performing bulbs.

Website providing data indicating climate change.

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

Report assessing the science of climate change with a focus on the U.S.

Report on improving passive design adoption rates.

Fact sheet describing the characteristics that make for a successful coastal residential building, including design and construction recommendations; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Report describing retrofitting options and methodology for architects, developers, and property owners to use when making decisions about retrofits for common building types in NY.

Report providing tools and resources to help community planners to improve coastal resilience.

Volume 1 of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to planning, siting, and risk management for homes constructed in coastal environments.

Volume II of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to design, construction, and renovation of homes located in coastal environments.

Article summarizing the IBHS stance on building practices that can mitigate the impact of high winds and storm surge on structures.

Website providing a link for purchasing NFPA 914, Code for the Protection of Historic Structures.

Fact sheet describing what builders need to know about designing a structure for flood loads.

Website discussing building foundation problems caused by settling soil in Colorado.

Report documenting the results of an in-depth evaluation of thermal comfort for two potential net zero-energy homes (NZEHs) in Massachusetts.

Report about instrumentation and limited short-term testing completed on a retrofit unoccupied test house in Fresno, California.

An article illustrating common errors found in fiber cement siding installations. Many of these errors and poor flashing examples apply to siding materials beyond fiber cement siding.

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

Two hourly energy simulation software, BEopt and Energy Gauge USA, were compared to ensure accuracy and evaluate agreement on the impact of various energy efficiency improvements.

Article introducing the FTC’s new EnergyGuide label, including estimates of annual energy usage.

Installation manual describing proper installation practices, industry standards and the code requirements of roofing tiles.

Website for CEE, the US and Canadian consortium of natural gas and electric efficiency program administrators.

Guidance from Zero Energy Project on construction techniques for warmer climates, such as home orientation, and insulation requirements.

Article describing construction best practices to help reduce the wind-induced pressure loads on a low-rise building during a hurricane.

Brochure helping homeowners identify hazards, work with contractors to remove the hazards, help ensure the work is done properly, and educate when they can return safely to the home.

Study describing efforts and outcomes in developing color-pigmented roofing products with coatings to increase solar reflectance.

Article describing the difference between conditioned or unvented attics and unconditioned or vented attics.

Paper describing the effects of tree canopies on residential climates indicating tree cover to be beneficial to climate conditions

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

Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing 'cool roofs' and their usage for passive home cooling.

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