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Explore this extensive library of building science guidance including research reports from DOE’s Building America program as well as hundreds of other articles, fact sheets, webpages, and reference documents related to constructing and renovating homes.

Showing 1 - 50 of 163 results:

A Guide to Preserving Trees in Development Projects

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Elmendorf William,
Gerhold Henry,
Kuhns Larry
·
Organization(s)
Pennsylvania State University Extension,
PennState Extension
Description
Article describing tree health, environmental considerations, and details on how to preserve trees.

A Practical Guide to Climate-resilient Buildings & Communities

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
United Nations Environment Programme
·
Organization(s)
UNEP
Description
Guidance document from the UN environment programme on climate-resilient buildings and communities practices, including guidance on heat waves, drought, hurricanes, and flooding.

A Practical Guide to Cool Roofs and Cool Pavements

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Global Cool Cities Alliance,
R20 Regions of Climate Action
·
Organization(s)
GCCA,
R20
Description
Guide developed to help contractors, building operators, and city officials successfully adopt cool roof and pavement technology.

ACCA Manual ZR – Residential Zoning Systems

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
·
Organization(s)
ACCA
Description
Technical manual from ACCA outlining correct methods for zoning of residential HVAC systems.

Affordable Passive Solar Planbook for North Carolina

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Appalachian State University
·
Organization(s)
AEC,
App State
Description
Study from Appalachian State University on passive solar design to take advantage of local climate zones for energy conservation.

All About Shade Trees

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Huber Jeanne
·
Organization(s)
This Old House
Description
Article describing shade trees and how to plant, maintain, and replace them.

Analyzing Design Heating Loads in Superinsulated Buildings

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Arena Lois
·
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Description
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.

APA The Engineered Wood Association Homepage

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
APA - The Engineered Wood Association
·
Organization(s)
American Plywood Association,
APA
Description
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.

Architecture of New Mexico

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Albuquerque Museum
·
Organization(s)
City of Albuquerque,
CABQ
Description
Power Point PDF presentation on historical architecture in New Mexico

Attic Venting, Attic Moisture, and Ice Dams

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
·
Organization(s)
CMHC,
Government of Canada
Description
Article by the Canadian Government on attic ventilation and considerations for moisture and ice dams.

Be Prepared For Extreme Heat, FEMA V-1004

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
·
Organization(s)
FEMA
Description
Information sheet from FEMA on preparation for extreme heat, including measures for keeping homes cool.

Benefits of Trees

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Arbor Day Foundation
·
Organization(s)
Arbor Day Foundation
Description
Article describing the benefits trees provide through quotes and anecdotes.

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

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
·
Organization(s)
ASME
Description
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

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
·
Organization(s)
ASME
Description
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.

Building Orientation for Optimum Energy

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Gromicko Nick,
Gromicko Ben
·
Organization(s)
InterACHI
Description
Webpage explaining how to site and orient a house to take advantage of the solar path.

Building Thermal Performance, Extreme Heat, and Climate Change

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Nahlik Matthew J.,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers,
ASCE
Description
Article published by American Society of Civil Engineers on different building types and their effectiveness resisting extreme heat from a building envelope perspective.

Building with Ducts in Conditioned Space

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Sullivan Bruce,
Schmiede Angela
·
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
NEEA
Description
Training manual on how to locate ducts within conditioned space and compact design.

CBE Thermal Comfort Tool

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Tartarini Federico,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Center for the Built Environment,
CBE,
UC Berkeley,
SinBerBEST,
Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore,
BEARS
Description
Online tool for thermal comfort calculations and visualizations SoftwareX 12, 100563 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2020.100563

Climate Consultant

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Milne Murray
·
Organization(s)
Society of Building Science Educators,
SBSE,
University of California Los Angeles,
UCLA
Description
Climate Consultant is a software tool for helping architects, builders, contractor, homeowners, and students to understand their local climate.

Construction & Design Considerations in Warmer Climates

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Zero Energy Project
·
Organization(s)
Zero Energy Project
Description
Guidance from Zero Energy Project on construction techniques for warmer climates, such as home orientation, and insulation requirements.

Cool Colored Materials for Roofs

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Akbari Hashem,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
California Energy Commission,
CEC,
Public Interest Energy Research Program,
PIER,
Laboratory Directed Research and Development,
LDRD,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Description
Study describing efforts and outcomes in developing color-pigmented roofing products with coatings to increase solar reflectance.

Cool Neighborhoods: The Measurement of Small Scale Heat Islands

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Sonne Jeffrey K,
Vieira Robin K
·
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy,
ECEEE
Description
Paper describing the effects of tree canopies on residential climates indicating tree cover to be beneficial to climate conditions

Cool Roofs

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
·
Organization(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Description
ENERGY STAR webpage discussing the costs and benefits of cool roofs.

Cool Roofs

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
·
Organization(s)
DOE
Description
Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing 'cool roofs' and their usage for passive home cooling.

Cool Roofs Help Reduce Energy Costs

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
·
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA
Description
Web page providing information on the types of cool roofs and their benefits to consumers.

Cool Solutions: The Whole House Fan

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Mott-Smith John
·
Organization(s)
City of Davis,
State of California
Description
Article describing the use of whole-house fans to provide cooling in the region surrounding Sacramento, CA.

Cool Surfaces Savings Explorer

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
LBNL
Description
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

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Parker Danny S,
Sonne Jeffrey K,
Sherwin John S
·
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Description
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.

Cooling with a Whole-House Fan

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
·
Organization(s)
DOE
Description
DOE Energy Saver webpage summarizing the use of whole-house fans for cooling.

Cooling with Ventilation

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Chandra Subrato,
Houston Michael M,
Fairey Philip W
·
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Description
Report providing recommendations to builders regarding how to reduce cooling loads, use air-circulation fans, natural ventilation, window and building design for natural ventilation, and whole-house fans.

CRRC - Cool Roof Rating Council

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Cool Roof Rating Council
·
Organization(s)
CRRC
Description
Website providing information about the Cool Roof Rating Council including programs, membership, and resources for the construction industry.

Designing Energy Efficient New Homes for a Warm Climate

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
EXtension Home Energy - Cooperative Extension
·
Organization(s)
EXtension Home Energy - Cooperative Extension
Description
Article from The Home Energy Community of Practice on designing energy efficient homes in hot climate zones, including home orientation, window location, and roof design considerations.

Designing Houses That Keep Their Cool

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Wilson Alex
·
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Description
Article from Green Building Advisor on strategies to take when building homes to reduce the need for air conditioning, including insulation, windows, site selection, and roofing.

Distribution and Room Air Mixing Risks to Retrofitted Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
·
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Description
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.

DOE Steep Slope Calculator

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
U.S. Department of Energy
·
Organization(s)
ORNL,
DOE
Description
Simple web-based tool allowing homeowners to calculate the potential savings from installing a cool roof.

Earth Tubes Exhibit

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Clean Energy Exhibition
·
Organization(s)
Clean Energy Exhibition,
Solar World
Description
Webpage providing details of an experimental earth tube installation at the Clean Energy Exhibition in Georgia.