Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 73 results:

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Marine Climate, Volume 11

2010

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report providing builders in marine 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.

AABC National Standards for Total System Balance, Seventh Edition

2016

Associated Air Barrier Council,

American National Standards Institute

AABC,

ANSI

Standards book discussing the minimum standards of total system balance of HVAC systems.

Above the Flood: Elevating Your Floodprone House, FEMA 347

2000

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Document describing three methods for elevating a home out of the flood zone.

ACCA Manual J - Residential Load Calculation, 8th Edition-Full, ANSI/ACCA 2-2016

2016

Air Conditioning Contractors of America

ACCA

Standard covering equipment sizing loads for single-family-detached homes, small multi-unit structures, condominiums, town houses and manufactured homes.

ACCA Manual ZR – Residential Zoning Systems

2018

Air Conditioning Contractors of America

ACCA

Technical manual from ACCA outlining correct methods for zoning of residential HVAC systems.

Actions for Flood Resilient Homes: Wet Floodproofing

2020

City of Edina

Report providing guidance on wet floodproofing crawlspaces, unfinished basements, and garages.

Actions You Can Take to Protect a Flood-Prone House or Business with a Crawlspace

2020

Association of State Floodplain Managers' Nonstructural Flood Proofing Committee

ASFPM

Report providing guidance to homeowners and business owners on protecting crawlspaces from flood damage.

Analyzing Design Heating Loads in Superinsulated Buildings

2015

Arena Lois

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report analyzing design heating load sizing methods for superinsulated homes in cold climates and comparing them to the actual energy usage to determine if the building load calculation methodology should be changed for calculating the design heating load of these homes.

Best Practices Manual

2018

Hammer & Hand

This Best Practices Manual is the product of Hammer & Hand’s ongoing work to document and internally codify our standard operating procedures for construction practice.

BPVC Code Cases: Boilers and Pressure Vessels, BPVC.CC.BPV-2017

2017

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASME

Code establishing the rules of safety relating only to pressure integrity for the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels during construction which was published in the year 2017 and is available to order at the referenced link.

BPVC Code Cases: Boilers and Pressure Vessels, BPVC.CC.BPV-2021

2021

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASME

Code establishing the rules of safety relating only to pressure integrity for the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels during construction which was published in the year 2021 and is available to order at the referenced link.

Builders Challenge Quality Criteria Support Document

2010

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

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

Building America Best Practices Series - 40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Cold and Very Cold Climates, Volume 12

2011

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Guide describing measures that builders in the cold and very cold climates can take to build homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

Building America Guidance for Identifying and Overcoming Code, Standard, and Rating Method Barriers

2013

Cole Pam C,

Halverson Mark A

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

Guidance document providing BA research teams and partners with specific information and approaches to identifying and overcoming potential barriers to Building America (BA) innovations arising in and/or stemming from codes, standards, and rating methods.

Building America Residential System Research Results - Achieving 30% Whole House Energy Savings Level in Marine Climates, January 2006 - December 2006

2006

Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership,

et al.

BAIHP,

BIRA,

BSC,

CARB,

DEG,

IBACOS,

NAHBRC,

NREL,

IBCS

Report summarizing research results for the 30% energy savings level and demonstrates that lead builders can successfully provide 30% homes in the Marine Climate Region on a cost-neutral basis.

Building Radon Out - A Step-by-Step Guide On How To Build Radon-Resistant Homes

2001

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Document detailing how to build radon-resistant homes.

Building with Ducts in Conditioned Space

2011

Sullivan Bruce,

Schmiede Angela

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,

NEEA

Training manual on how to locate ducts within conditioned space and compact design.

Clanging Pipes and Open Windows: Upgrading NYC Steam Heating Systems for the 21st Century

2015

Flothow Jonathan

Energy Efficiency for All,

EEFA,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA

Report describing strategies to improve the aging steam heating systems in New York City to improve energy efficiency, reduce oil and gas usage, and cut maintenance costs.

Closed Crawl Space Performance: Proof of Concept in the Production Builder Marketplace

2008

Dastur Cyrus,

Mauceri Maria,

Hannas Benjamin

Advanced Energy

Report aimed to quantify the impact of closed crawlspaces in new homes, and investigate modeling software to ensure accuracy of energy consumption predictions in these homes.

Closed Crawl Spaces - An Introduction to Design, Construction and Performance

2005

Dastur Cyrus,

Davis Bruce,

Warren William E

Advanced Energy

Guide about designing and installing closed crawlspaces in the Southeast.

Closed Crawlspaces Do Double Duty

2005

Dastur Cyrus,

Davis Bruce

Home Energy Magazine

Article describing how closed crawlspaces can do "double duty" by controlling moisture and providing energy savings.

Community-Wide Zero Energy Ready Home Standard

2016

Herk Anastasia,

Beggs Timothy

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

U.S. Department of Energy

Report outlining the steps developers can take to create high-performance standards on a community-wide scale.

Conditioned Crawl Space Construction, Performance and Codes, BA-0401

2004

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report outlining how conditioned crawlspaces perform better than vented crawlspaces in terms of safety, health, comfort, durability and energy consumption.

Crawlspace Insulation

2009

Southface Energy Institute,

et al.

ORNL,

SEI,

DOE

Information sheet about crawlspace insulation, including installation details.

Crawlspaces – Either In or Out, BSI-115

2020

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article discussing whether or not to seal and insulate crawlspaces.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Design and Construction Process

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Design and Construction Process chapter provides detailed guidance for each process phase: pre-planning, planning, construction, test-out and post-occupancy.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Lessons learned

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Lessons Learned chapter focuses on successful deep energy retrofit projects throughout the U.S.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Occupant Behavior

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Occupant Behavior chapter discusses how to assess homeowner behavior patterns and use these patterns to enhance overall energy savings.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Reducing Costs and Increasing Cost-Effectiveness

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Reducing costs and Increasing Cost-Effectiveness chapter provides suggestions for controlling deep retrofit costs, including both 'do's' and 'don'ts'.

Distribution and Room Air Mixing Risks to Retrofitted Homes

2014

Burdick Arlan

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS

Report outlining the issues with using existing ducts with a new low-load HVAC system, which reduces throw at supply registers causing decreased mixing of supply and room air, leading to potential thermal comfort complaints.

Earthquake Safety at Home, FEMA P-530

2020

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Guide provides homeowners ways to prepare for an earthquake and protect a home against earthquake damage.

Evaluation of Crawlspace Retrofits in Multifamily Buildings

2014

Rudd Armin

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report analyzing results in crawlspace retrofits in multifamily buildings.

FEMA Continuous Load Path

2023

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Article explaining what a continuous load path is and the key connection points that make it up.

Fixing Wet Basements and Crawlspaces

2012

Todd Jason

Home Energy Magazine

Article describing methods to manage moisture, rainwater, and vapor in basements and crawlspaces.

Foundation Design Handbook

2013

Carmody John,

et al.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

University of Minnesota

Handbook providing guidance on the design and construction of foundations for homes, including insulation, air sealing, and water management details for basements, crawlspaces, and slabs.

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations

2022

Williams Randy

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Article describing what the building codes say about frost-protected shallow foundations as a cost-saving alternative to conventional concrete foundations.

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations 1

2010

Holladay Martin

Fine Homebuilding

Guides describing frost-protected shallow foundations as an alternative method for building an energy-efficient foundation for a house in a cold climate that uses less concrete and saves on labor.

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations Reduce Costs, Save Energy

2014

Hooker Kenneth A

Concrete Construction

Article describing frost-protected shallow foundations with construction drawing details.

How to Perform a Heat-Loss Calculation, Part I

2012

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Website blog with guidance about calculating heat-loss.

HVAC System Pressure Relief

2006

Raymer Paul H,

Moyer Neil

Tamarack Technologies,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Correcting pressure imbalances in your HVAC system can result in a healthier, more efficient home.

Hygrothermal Performance Study: A Field Study Comparison of the Energy and Moisture Performance Characteristics of Ventilated Versus Sealed Crawl Spaces in the South

2005

Davis Bruce,

Dastur Cyrus,

Warren William E

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

Advanced Energy,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report outlining results from a 2005 hygrothermal pilot study in the South.

Indoor Airflow – Perfect Balance vs. Door Undercut

2011

Guertin Mike

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

Central return designs require an open pathway between the room and the heart of the house where the return grill is located.

Innovation in Frost Protected Shallow Foundations

2019

Green Home Institute

Video describing how a frost-protected shallow foundation (FPSF) is constructed and including use of a stay-in-place EPS (expanded polystyrene) footing form that provides insulation and simplifies the installation of frost-protected monolithic concrete slab foundations.

Innovation in Frost Protected Shallow Foundations

2019

Green Home Institute

Keeping The Heat In - Chapter 6: Basement Insulation Floors, Walls and Crawl Spaces

2016

Natural Resources Canada

Information sheet providing links and resources for insulating basements in cold climates.

Manual B - Balancing and Testing Air and Hydronic Systems

2009

Air Conditioning Contractors of America

ACCA

Standard technical manual with information about HVAC balancing, testing air and hydronic systems.

Mastering Roof Inspections: Flashing, Part 2

2025

International Association of Certified Home Inspectors

InterNACHI

Article describing the flashing of roofs and what to look for, targeted at home inspectors.

Moisture Control for Residential Buildings

2020

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

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

Mulching with Lawn Clippings

2022

Garden City Harvest

Article describing mulching with lawn clippings.

Multi-Year Advanced Residential Building Systems Research - Revisions to Quality Management Products

2008

Home Innovation Research Labs

HIRL

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