Library

Fact sheet providing an overview of the FEMA document Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings.

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

Report providing builders in the hot-dry and mixed-dry climates with guidance for building homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

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

Article describing methods for venting a vented attic and a roof assembly over an unvented attic.

Guide for homeowners describing how to find and seal basement and attic air leaks, determine if attic insulation is adequate, make improvements safely, and reduce energy bills.

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

Report describing testing and analysis on deep energy retrofits of existing single-family homes in the U.S.

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.

Article describing methods for thermally isolating a garage in a Passive House-certified multifamily building.

Energy Star web page providing guidance on attic ventilation.

Fact sheet poster describing how to add exterior, continuous, rigid insulation to the exterior walls when replacing siding on an existing home.

Report (1) compares existing measurement methods, based on field testing in a wide range of buildings, (2) presents the development of two new methods to directly measure exterior and interior leakage of an attached unit, and compares to existing methods; and (3) experimentally evaluates the...

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.

Manual describing best practices or home construction in Alaska and northern climates.

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.

Report that collected field data from a whole-home program in Illinois are utilized to compare marketplace-installed measures to the energy saving optimal packages previously developed for 15 housing types.

Report on adding insulation to load-bearing mass masonry buildings.

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.

Report covering moisture and leakage issues associated with spray foam insulation application to the underside of roof sheathing.

Report about a building project in the marine climate.

Technical report describing the thermal performance of 40 common building envelope details for mid- and high-rise buildings, including analyses to optimize energy efficiency and reduce thermal bridging.

Report focused on foundation insulation R-values for cold climates and the design, construction, and performance implications.

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

Document providing background and approach for the prep work necessary prior to adding attic insulation - focusing on combustion safety, ventilation for indoor air quality, and attic ventilation for durability.

Report about a project that examines implementation of advanced retrofit measures in the context of a large-scale weatherization program and the archetypal Chicago, Illinois, brick bungalow.

This report outlines research activities that are expected to facilitate the adoption of energy retrofits by remodeling contractors and roofing contractors using retrofit panels which applicable to many existing house designs in most climates and markets.

NREL webpage of standard work specification of exterior and interior, attic floors, attic knee walls, and unique installations.

Technical article describing issues and moisture concerns related to weatherization efforts.

Article describing the building science implications of insulating vented or unvented attics.

Article describing the research into insulating vented versus unvented attics.

SPFA website signup page to access SPFA documents.

Report describing approaches to insulating basements in homes built to meet Energy Star levels of performance of heat loss reduction.

Information sheet describing techniques for insulating basements.

Report summarizing commissioning, short-term testing, utility bill data analysis, and results of on-site monitoring of a deep energy retrofit.

Brochure explaining the essential basis for advanced framing and some of the more common advanced framing details.

Information sheet about insulating slabs.

Information sheet providing recommendations on the installation of vapor control layers.

Article describing selecting insulation for minimizing condensation risks.

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

A book about structurally insulated panels.

Case study about Artistic Homes of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the first home builder in the United States to offer true net zero energy construction to the average home buyer on every home it builds.

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

This report will review, and summarize the current state of understanding and research into enclosures with higher thermal resistance, so-called “High-R Enclosures.” Recommendations are provided for further research.

Research study describing a number of promising foundation and basement insulation strategies that can meet the requirement for better thermal control in colder climates while enhancing moisture control, health, and comfort.

Fact sheet describing research sponsored by DOE's Building America program to research the importance of attic air-sealing and best practice attic air-sealing techniques for new and existing homes.