Library

2020 energy efficiency code for the state of Florida.

A presentation on the 2020 State Mechanical Code for easier understanding.

Report describing the results of a field study of five different ventilation system types in 29 homes in the Pacific Northwest.

Article describing tree health, environmental considerations, and details on how to preserve trees.

Report describing an air distribution system composed of a series of uniformly-sized ducts that terminate in rooms throughout the home and return to a central manifold, similar in fashion to a “home-run” cross-linked polyethylene plumbing system.

Guidance document from the UN environment programme on climate-resilient buildings and communities practices, including guidance on heat waves, drought, hurricanes, and flooding.

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

Factsheet describing how window shades can keep out unwanted heat, detailing the most effective products and practices.

Study from Appalachian State University on passive solar design to take advantage of local climate zones for energy conservation.

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...

Report describing two retrofit duct sealing techniques - manually-applied sealants and injecting a spray sealant, that were implemented in several low-rise multi-unit buildings in North Carolina.

Article describing shade trees and how to plant, maintain, and replace them.

Paper describing an experiment to quantify shade tree impacts on cooling-related electricity consumption, finding that there may be sizable benefits in hot regions.

ASHRAE Standard prescribing an field evaluation and test method to measure and score the performance of unitary HVAC systems.

This ANSI/RESNET/ICC standard provides a consistent, uniform methodology for evaluating the airtightness of building, dwelling unit, and sleeping unit enclosures and heating and cooling air distribution systems, and the air flows of mechanical ventilation systems.

Standard covering updates to the expected leakage rates for ductwork constructed to the SMACNA HVAC Duct Construction Standards—Metal & Flexible, duct leakage test procedures; includes recommendations on use of leakage testing, types of test apparatus, and test setup and sample leakage analysis.

Website homepage of APA – The Engineered Wood Association, a nonprofit trade association combining the research efforts of scientists and engineers, APA promotes new solutions and improved processes that benefit the entire industry.

Power Point PDF presentation on historical architecture in New Mexico

Standard establishing test methods for determining air leakage in duct systems using fan pressurization in low-rise residential and commercial buildings.

Article by the Canadian Government on attic ventilation and considerations for moisture and ice dams.

Information sheet from FEMA on preparation for extreme heat, including measures for keeping homes cool.

Article describing the benefits trees provide through quotes and anecdotes.

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

Document about testing software predictions of retrofit energy savings in existing homes.

Document providing an example procedure for establishing acceptance-range criteria to assess results from software undergoing BESTEST-EX.

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.

Article published by American Society of Civil Engineers on different building types and their effectiveness resisting extreme heat from a building envelope perspective.

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

Report summarizing the key opportunities, gaps, and barriers identified by the national laboratory white papers discussing long-term 50% energy reduction goals.

Report recording the results of a field study conducted in a single historic home in Seattle, Washington, to document the performance of Indow Windows' interior storm window inserts.

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.

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

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

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

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

Research study comparing various retrofit models in Wisconsin to evaluate performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost effectiveness of each program design.

Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.

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

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

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.

Article describing the use of whole-house fans to provide cooling in the region surrounding Sacramento, CA.

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.

DOE Energy Saver webpage summarizing the use of whole-house fans for cooling.