Library

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

Standard providing minimum functionality requirements for earthquake-actuated automatic gas shutoff devices; applicable to systems carrying natural gas and propane, the devices are used in piping, equipment, and appliances typically found in structures of three stories or less.

The objective of this research was to quantify the field performance of wood-frame walls clad with a variety of common claddings in a mixed-humid climate.

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

Journal article presenting a discussion of the state-of-the- art in electricity management in smart homes, the various enabling technologies that will accelerate this concept, and topics around consumer behavior with respect to energy usage.

A San Diego County standard highlighting the requirements for residential emergency vehicle turnarounds.

A factsheet that provides information and requirements for emergency water supplies for firefighting in Boulder County, Colorado.

Presentation about results from an insulating concrete form energy efficiency study in Knoxville, TN.

Research study examining efficiency retrofit opportunities, typical renovation practices, and pathways for achieving U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) goals for existing homes in Florida.

Research study simulation adapting and applies the general framework described in Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes for self-testing residential building energy model calibration methods.

Study investigating homeowner measure package choices in the Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program compared to cost-optimal choices determined through Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software.

Technical report describing the evaluation of four different ventilation strategies for providing make-up air in high-performance, new construction multifamily buildings in the Northeast, emphasizing the challenges posed by increasing airtightness standards and the variability of system performance...

Flyer from the City of Ellensburg WA describing what an excess flow valve is, how they work, and associated costs.

Website for gas utility customers describing the installation of excess flow valves to stop the flow of natural gas into a home in the event of a line rupture.

Webpage describing what excess flow valves are, how they work, and the installation process.

Utility webpage describing the monetary costs associated with excess flow valves for TECO in Florida.

Webpage with statistics on recent U.S. wildfires.

An example of a commercially available thermally expansive fire stopping product for controlling the spread of fires in a rainscreen cavity.

Newsletter reviewing federal disaster policy, the research basis for resilience, and three models of building resilient communities.

Documents describing Flood Resistant Provisions of the international codes (including the international building, residential, exiting building, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, fire, swimming pool and spa, private sewage disposal, and code council performance codes) and summaries of changes from the...

Activity sheets describing questions and preparedness action items for a variety of disasters including floods, fires, earthquakes, and winter weather.

Report describing a project focused on the use of home energy ratings as a tool to promote energy retrofits in existing homes.

Report describing a simple and general way to generate House Simulation Protocol (HSP)-consistent internal sensible and latent loads in unoccupied homes.

A guide to construction of wildfire resistant homes and communities.

Factsheet describing fire related terms such as noncombustible, fire resistant, fire retardant, flame spread, how they are applied, and related testing standards.

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.

A report showing what happens when windows break as a result of temperature differences between the inside and outside of the home, as well as code standards for the State of California regarding window exposure to wildfires.

A guide for designers, architects, engineers, and fire experts on how to design rainscreen and ventilated cavities such that they don’t contribute to the spread of a fire.

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

Fact sheet providing a reference for the different types of fire pumps and fire pump drivers.

Article defining terms and testing requirements for fire-resistant construction materials including combustible, noncombustible, fire-resistant or fire-resistance, and ignition-resistant.

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

Fact sheet describing research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety into how burning embers can ignite softwood decks like redwood and cedar and how to minimize the likelihood these decks will be ignited by embers.

A webpage containing information provides links to state- and province- based coalitions dedicated to advocating for home fire sprinklers.

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.

A guideline containing fire sprinkler insulation requirements from the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department.

Webpage describing the safety hazards associated with natural gas and tips on how to avoid these hazards by a step process of turning off natural gas service to a home and restoring service afterwards.

Brochure for natural gas utility customers describing seismic valves and excess flow valves for homes.

Webpage describing when and how to safely turn off the natural gas to the home during an emergency.

Webpage with certification requirements for excess flow and earthquake valves from California's Division of the State Architect (DSA).

Website with prepopulated information about the United States renewable resources.

Report covering the fire performance of combustible cladding over combustible insulation.

Report detailing field walk-through evaluations, energy simulations for projected savings with exterior insulation upgrades, building envelope energy improvement cost estimates, and installation and maintenance of monitoring equipment and data.

Research report presenting results of short term tests on measures used in an energy efficiency retrofit project in California.

Webpage describing how to guard homes and properties against wildfire, as well as what to do during a wildfire, whether sheltering in place or attempting evacuation.

Webpage providing maps and information to assess the particular hazards and risks for an area.

Report describing a laboratory assessment that provides insights into space requirements and venting strategies for heat pump water heaters (HPWH) to enhance retrofit installations and provide actionable guidance for manufacturers, designers, engineers, installers, and owners.

Report discussing the potential energy savings of new high-efficiency downlights, and the results of product testing to date.