Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 174 results:

2010 Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings, FEMA P-804

2019

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

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

A Crash Course in Roof Venting, PA-1101

2011

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

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

A Guide to Residential Energy Storage and Rooftop Solar: State Net Metering Policies and Utility Rate Tariff Structures

2024

Kerby Jessica,

Tarekegne Bethel

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

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.

A Practical Guide to Cool Roofs and Cool Pavements

2012

Global Cool Cities Alliance,

R20 Regions of Climate Action

GCCA,

R20

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

About Attic Ventilation

2022

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA,

ENERGY STAR

Energy Star web page providing guidance on attic ventilation.

AC vs. DC Coupling Energy Storage Systems

2021

Miller Lucas

Mayfield Renewables

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

Alaska Residential Building Manual, 7th Edition

2008

Deer Charlie,

et al.

University of Alaska,

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation

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

Application of Spray Foam Insulation Under Plywood and Oriented Strand Board Roof Sheathing, BA-1312

2013

Grin Aaron,

Smegal Jonathan,

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

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

Attic Air Sealing Guide and Details, GM-1001

2010

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

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.

Attic or Roof? An Evaluation of Two Advanced Weatherization Packages, BA-1205

2012

Neuhauser Ken

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

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.

Attics, Topic 4.01

2020

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL

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

Avoiding Moisture Problems

2003

Van der Meer Bill

National Association for State Community Services Programs,

NASCSP,

Weatherization Training Center at Penn College,

Pennsylvania College of Technology,

PCT

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

Avoiding Wet Roofs - Part I

2018

Yost Peter

Journal of Light Construction,

JLC

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

Avoiding Wet Roofs - Part II

2018

Yost Peter

Journal of Light Construction,

JLC

Article describing the research into insulating vented versus unvented attics.

Backup Power Options to Prepare for the Next Power Outage

2019

Suntegrity Solar

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

Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Comparison

2021

Clean Energy Reviews

CER

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

Best Practices Solar Case Study: John Wesley Miller Companies, Armory Park del Sol Tucson Arizona

2009

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Case study describing solar thermal and photovoltaic systems in new construction.

Builders Challenge Guide to 40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Hot-Dry and Mixed-Dry Climates Solar Case Study Grupe: Carsten Crossings, Rocklin California

2009

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Case study describing solar thermal and photovoltaic systems in new construction.

Building America Best Practices Series: Solar Case Study: Pulte Homes, Civano Tucson AZ

2007

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Case study describing solar thermal and photovoltaic systems in new construction.

Building America Top Innovations 2013: Attic Air Sealing Guidelines

2013

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

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.

Building Codes and Regulations for Solar Water Heating Systems

2012

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

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

Building in Extreme Cold, BSI-031

2010

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

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

Ceilings and Attics

2000

Southface Energy Institute,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL,

SEI

Information sheet with information about insulating and ventilating attics.

Climate Safe Housing - Strategies for Multifamily Building Resilience

2023

Enterprise Community Partners

ECP

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

Compact Buried Ducts in a Hot-Humid Climate House

2016

Mallay David

Home Innovation Research Labs,

HIRL

Report on heating and cooling air-distribution ducts that are insulated, installed close to the ceiling in a vented attic and covered with attic insulation to minimize energy loss.

Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Roofing Systems on Residential Cooling Energy Demand in Florida

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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

Conway Street Apartments: A Multifamily Deep Energy Retrofit

2014

Aldrich Robb,

Williamson Jim

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB

Research report anayzing the results of a large retrofit project, turining an old school into near zero energy consumption apartments in Greenfield MA.

Cool Colored Materials for Roofs

2004

Akbari Hashem,

et al.

California Energy Commission,

CEC,

Public Interest Energy Research Program,

PIER,

Laboratory Directed Research and Development,

LDRD,

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

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

Cool Hand Luke Meets Attics, BSI-077

2015

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing the difference between conditioned or unvented attics and unconditioned or vented attics.

Cool Roofs

2023

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA,

ENERGY STAR

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

Cool Roofs Help Reduce Energy Costs

2023

ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR,

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA

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

Cool Solutions: The Whole House Fan

2018

Mott-Smith John

City of Davis,

State of California

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

Cool Surfaces Savings Explorer

2018

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LBNL

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

Cooling Related Performance of Finished and Unfinished Metal Roofing Systems

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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.

Cost Analysis of Roof-Only Air Sealing and Insulation Strategies on 1 1/2-Story Homes in Cold Climates

2014

Ojczyk Cindy

University of Minnesota,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

NothernSTAR

Report exploring alternative methods to find long-term solutions to energy loss in 1 ½-story homes to save energy, improve comfort, prevent frost buildup on the underside of the roof deck, and reduce the risk of ice dam formation/reformation.

Cost, Design, and Performance of Solar Hot Water in Cold-Climate Homes

2006

Aldrich Robb,

Vijayakumar Gayathri

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA

Report describing the monitored long-term performance of two solar domestic water heating systems in northern climates.

CRRC - Cool Roof Rating Council

2023

Cool Roof Rating Council

CRRC

Website providing information about the Cool Roof Rating Council including programs, membership, and resources for the construction industry.

Dam Ice Dam, BSI-046

2011

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing strategies for reducing the risk of ice dam formation on roofs in winter.

De-Icing Ice Dams, BSI-097

2018

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing the importance of air sealing, insulation, and roof ventilation in reducing the likelihood of ice dam formation on roofs in cold snowy climates.

Discussion of Strategies for Mounting Photovoltaic Arrays on Rooftops

2001

Barkaszi Stephen F,

Dunlop James P

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

A research paper exploring the installation and mounting of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on rooftops and the challenges faced by system designers and installers.

DOE Solar Decathlon Website

2023

Solar Decathlon,

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Website for the U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon competition.

DOE Steep Slope Calculator

2005

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

U.S. Department of Energy

ORNL,

DOE

Simple web-based tool allowing homeowners to calculate the potential savings from installing a cool roof.

DOE Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers Program

2020

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

A PDF containing the SERC Solar PV System Field-Inspection Checklist.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Solar Hot Water-Ready Checklist (Encouraged)

2019

Zero Energy Ready Home,

U.S. Department of Energy

ZERH,

DOE

Checklist describing solar water heating recommendations per the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes

2023

Gilbride Theresa L

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

Fact sheet poster describing benefits and qualification of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) certified Zero Energy Ready Homes and providing eight examples of certified homes.

Effects of Tilt and Azimuth on Annual Incident Solar Radiation for United States Locations

2001

Christensen Craig B,

Barker Greg M

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Mountain Energy Partnership

Study presenting generalized results regarding the effect of surface orientation on annual incident solar radiation for locations in the United States.

Electricity Resilience in Florida: Hurricane Dorian vs Tesla Powerwall

2019

Parker Danny S

CleanTechnica

Article describing a case study in which a whole-house battery and PV system was tested in a home with cooling and refrigeration during a hurricane in Florida.

Energy-Efficient Florida Home Building, Third Printing

1992

Vieira Robin K,

Sheinkopf Kenneth G,

Sonne Jeffrey K

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Document talking about the topic Energy-Efficient Florida Home Building.

Evaluation of Cellular Shades in the PNNL Lab Homes

2016

Sullivan Greg P,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

DOE-sponsored report describing the experimental setup and results of field studies on using interior cellular shading attachments to reduce solar heat gain in summer and reduce heat loss in winter.

Evaluation of Cellular Shades in the PNNL Lab Homes

2015

Peterson Joseph M,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

Report describing the methods and results of a field evaluation of the energy performance of cellular shade window coverings.