Library

Resource that explains how water softeners work to reduce scale.

Report about measurements of three recent vintage dishwashers of very different efficiencies showing that while they are substantially more efficient than older dishwashers.

Installation tips and product suggestions for mounting hardware.

Information sheet presenting the correct methods for building an insulated cathedral ceiling.

Article describing considerations for choosing a room-level air cleaner to improve indoor air quality.

FTC website explaining the usefulness of the EnergyGuide label when shopping for home appliances.

Includes several good how-to videos for anchoring furniture to different wall types

Report describing the identification of barriers and proposed practical solutions for the design, installation, and market adoption of heat pump water heaters in new low-rise multifamily housing, focusing on studio and one-bedroom units.

Factsheet describing the advantages and disadvantages of induction cooktops and the role they play in energy efficiency.

A document aimed at reducing the vulnerability of a gable end roof to wind damage in a hurricane.

Article outlining the casuses and solutions for ice dam problems.

Report on on lessons learned from building one multifamily home to the Zero Energy Ready Home program requirements.

Guide detailing best practices on how to build wall assemblies with absorptive claddings such as brick, stone that drain and dry well.

Report discussing the importance of durability and energy efficiency in building construction.

Article describing the correct installation of clothes dryer exhaust ducts.

PDF detailing the inspection and verification guidance for WaterSense labeled new homes including indoor and outdoor efficiency requirements, and homeowner and building management education.

Article describing methods for designing and constructing multifamily buildings with insulating concrete forms (ICFs).

Guide describing the use of a collaborative, multidisciplinary process that considers and optimizes the building as an entire system including its technical equipment and surroundings for efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective construction and operation over the building’s entire lifespan.

Article discussing indoor water management.

Report describing as-found interior platform return plenums, the magnitude of their contribution to the total amount of duct leakage, and techniques and results of retrofits executed by the HVAC trade during equipment replacement.

Website explaining the LEED v4.1 program and providing a portal for those who want to investigate or start a LEED project.

Factsheet with information on energy efficient pool pumps.

If your kitchen has a powerful exhaust fan, it may be pulling air down your chimney or water-heater flue.

Measure Guideline describing how to assess and carry out the isolation of natural draft combustion appliances from the conditioned spaces of low-rise residential buildings.

This measure guideline provides guidance on combustion safety inspection procedures for appliances and heating equipment that use indoor air for combustion and dilution of flue gases in low-rise residential buildings.

Repor ourlining testing results from a 53 home monitored sample, long-term energy use of electric resistance clothes dryers.

Report summarizing a case study about the performance of three occupied homes built in 2009 in San Antonio, Texas.

Report describing a lighting and smart power strip retrofit evaluation that was conducted on 56 all-electric, existing Florida homes to see how lighting and miscellaneous electric loads might be reduced.

Standard that prescribes a testing method to determine the efficiency of space heating and/or cooling thermal distribution systems under seasonal and design conditions. This version of the standard was published in the year 2014, and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. The...

Factsheet describing smart practices for minimizing damage to residential electrical service components during coastal and riverine flood events.

Book with indepth information about hydronic systems for residential and commercial buildings.

Webpage for the CEC’s Modern Appliance Efficiency Database System

List of appliance brands and models, showing their performance and efficiency as tested by the appropriate standard.

This report requires all elements of rooftop PV panel systems to be designed for component and cladding pressures per ASCE 7-10.

Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

Conference paper making the case that moving ducts to conditioned space saves energy, is practical for production builders (when accompanied by careful pre-planning), and creates significant andmarketable energy savings for homebuyers.

Report discussing development of scopes of work and quality management for builders in mixed-humid climates.

This Photovoltaic (PV) Installer Resource Guide is an informational resource covering basic requirements for PV installations intended for individuals pursuing the Photovoltaic Installer Certification credential offered by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

Resources describing the National Flood Insurance Program's technical bulletins for flood zone construction, including foundation walls, corrosion protection, floodproofing, and breakaway walls among other topics.

Webpage presenting updated maps for annual average temperature and precipitation in the contiguous U.S.

An interactive website providing facts on new, single-family homes constructed in 2019.

An NFPA Standard that identifies a method for determining the minimum water supply necessary for structural fire-fighting purposes in areas where it has been determined that there is no water or inadequate water for fire fighting.

Link to the NFPA standards collection; NFPA 211 provides guidelines for construction projects involving chimneys, fireplaces, venting systems, and solid fuel-burning appliances.

An NFPA standards document that provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of tanks and accessory equipment that supply water for private fire protection.

This standard provides a benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards and has been adopted in all 50 states.

Report about an experimental evaluation has been conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

Report describing the experimentally evaluated potential of a novel residential night cooling concept.

A document providing guidance on integrating a PV array with a roof system.

Article from Williams College on the key elements of passive solar design for homes.