Library

Document containing a series of resource papers that describe earthquake design components, including shear walls, resiliency, ground motion, and story drift and deflection, among others.

Article describing vapor retarder requirements in the International Residential Code and International Building Code 2021.

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

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.

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

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

Article describing how to detail head flashing above a window.

Document describing adobe construction, its weakness to earthquakes, and techniques used to improve seismic resistance for both new construction and existing adobe buildings.

Printed manual describing adobe construction

Guide describing advanced framing, a system of construction framing techniques designed to optimize material usage and increase energy efficiency.

Report describing advanced framing techniques, including discussion of cost and energy savings.

Fact sheet describing advanced wall framing.

Technical report describing the SPS (Structural Panel System), an innovative implementation of the "perfect wall" concept, situating environmental control layers on the exterior side of structural components for improved constructability, cost-effectiveness, and performance, validated through the...

Fact sheet describing air-sealing concerns and remedies, including HRV/ERV installation, caulking, spray foam, and weatherstrip installation.

Article describing how an airtight home shell helps achieve a tight envelope that is energy efficient and cost effective.

Website article interviewing the inventor of the Larsen truss, a history of its use, and a discussion of its advantages and disadvantages.

Article about different types of weather resistant barrier.

A publication highlighting recommendations that contribute to improved overall performance in the structural shell and focus on good connection details to tie together exterior walls, roofs and floors.

A report that evaluates the force it takes to crack stucco of various thicknesses.

Report covering interior energy retrofits of masonry buildings.

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

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

Article from California Earthquake Authority on the benefits of retrofitting homes to withstand earthquake forces, with a focus on foundations, walls, and chimneys.

Document focusing on the design and wall components that contribute to a pressure equalized rain screen wall, including the frequency of the weep holes and other brick masonry rain screen wall requirements.

Presentation describing details for installing structural insulated panels (SIPs).

A book about structurally insulated panels.

Fact sheet providing background and technical information on Trombe wall design

Web based tool providing decision-making guidance for selecting wall assembly components.

Report investigating implementation of advanced framing in both production and prototype built homes built in a variety of climate regions across the USA.

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

Presentation about advanced framing techniques.

Article describing the control layers (air, thermal, and vapor barriers) needed to build homes successfully in very cold locations.

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

Website providing information about building plans for the ENERGY STAR thermal bypass checklist.

An online learning management resource for the construction community.

Case study characterizing the framing factors for the exterior walls, ceilings, and floors of 180 wood-framed low-rise residential buildings across the United States.

Installation manual for installing metal panel siding.

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

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.

Attachment or installation of foundations, floors, roofs, insulation, utilities, and finishes to concrete masonry walls as well as on special tools and fasteners available for use with concrete masonry.

Report covering insulating crawlspaces.

Article describing the process of constructing concrete walls

Article about how mortar droppings during the installation of a brick veneer can clog the weep holes in the wall assembly causing moisture damage. The article also illustrates products that can be installed in the ventilated cavity to mitigate this problem.

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

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

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

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.

Report covering exterior energy retrofits of masonry buildings.

Conference paper describing the use of engineered rainscreen products to provide air flow and water drainage space in wall assemblies in residential and commercial buildings.