Library

Article describing risks of living in wildfire-prone areas of southern California and ways to reduce risks to homes and communities.

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

Webpage providing details of an experimental earth tube installation at the Clean Energy Exhibition in Georgia.

Article describing earthship homes.

Article describing quality of life and economic benefit from trees.

Technical report evaluating the effects of heat pump water heaters on heating and cooling energy usage in laboratory homes.

Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing using Earth-Sheltered home building techniques in hot climate zones.

Document explaining requirements and recommendations for defensible space, with a focus on sloped vegetation.

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

Webpage describing embodied carbon through definition, significance to climate, and importance to policymaking.

Website that lists references that can help you determine how to control you indoor air quality while combating an emergency.

Powerpoint on attic ventilation developed as training material for the Weatherization Assistance Program.

Article from NAHB research center describing home building techniques for homes in hot climate zones.

Paper describing the effects of tree shade on residential electricity consumption and energy savings in summer and winter.

Technical report evaluating the energy savings potential of radiative cooling technologies, particularly photonic 'selective emittance' materials.

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

Report describing construction site erosion and sediment control practices recommended and required by a county planning department.

Guidance documents describing Erosion Control Blankets (ECBs) use as a construction material that provides temporary cover and support for establishing vegetation on bare soil. ECB holds topsoil and seed (typically grass) in place to minimize erosion during germination of seed.

Factsheet describing steps builders should take to reduce erosion and control sediment on construction sites during home construction.

Technical report presenting the results of an evaluation of homes using high-efficiency mini-split heat pumps to supplement the primary heating and cooling systems.

Webpage providing tips for installing and maintaining an evaporative cooler.

A webpage by the DOE on tips for saving energy with an evaporative cooler.

Image of design wet bulb temperatures in the U.S. and where evaporative cooling is most appropriate.

Guidebook meant to provide public officials with information on excessive heat event.

Webpage from Ready.gov explaining what qualifies as 'extreme heat', how to be safe during an extreme heat event, and how to prepare for extreme heat in homes

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

Technical report describing the impact of orientation on thermal comfort.

Document explores alternatives to riprap on banks and waterways to mitigate bankside erosion in the Pacific Northwest.

Online geospatial map with interactive viewer showing flood risk areas and base flood elevations

A address searchable geographic information system for visualizing the flood hazard of an address and its surrounding area.

Guidelines from the University of California Cooperative Extension on how fires spread, how homes typically burn, and what homeowners can do to prepare their homes for wildfire season.

Articles, research, case studies, and more outlining considerations for planning and installation of a fire-protection system.

Webpage from FireSafe Marin explaining the vulnerability of different deck setups and materials.

Article from CAL FIRE on fire-resistant landscaping to mitigate ignition of homes.

List of guidelines for plants and their fire resistance from FIRESafe Marin.

Five step plan from the Tahoe Fire & Fuels team outlining how to create an effective defensible space for wildfire protection. Recommendations include siting for homes on slopes.

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

Journal article describing energy impacts from shade trees and forests and solar heating and air infiltration.

Article describing a numerical model that can be used to size foundation heat exchanger (FHX) systems.

Report analyzing the effect of global climate change on national interests, and providing climate predictions.

Document describing amendments to IECC 2015 to create the Georgia State Minimum Standard Energy Code.

Document describing living shoreline techniques for shoreline stabilization.

Article describing tree preservation during the construction process.

EPA webpage explaining the heat island effect and providing links to related content.

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

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

Federal webpage providing information regarding extreme heat and health for the United States.

Article from NREL on wall construction guidelines for homes in hot climate zones.

Factsheet profiling a simple modification that can be made to window air-conditioners to improve their energy efficiency.

Website providing information on low-energy and standard cooling systems, with a focus on saving energy.