Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 79 results:

Actions for Flood Resilient Homes: Wet Floodproofing

2020

City of Edina

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

AHAM - Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

2020

Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

AHAM

Website providing research, efficiency and safety standards development, and advocacy to the home appliance industry to bring efficient, high-performing home appliances to consumers.

An Introduction To PSC Motors

2022

RW Beckett Corporation

Webpage that gives an introduction to PSC motors and their operation.

Are Energy Savings Due to Ceiling Fans Just Hot Air?

2020

Florida Solar Energy Center

University of Central Florida,

UCF,

FSEC

FSEC article looking into the percieved effectiveness of ceiling fans.

Basement Insulation Systems, BA-0202

2002

Building Science Corporation

BSC

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

Basement Insulation Technology Fact Sheet

2002

Southface Energy Institute

SEI,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Fact sheet describing basement insulation considerations.

Basement Insulation, Info 511

2009

Building Science Corporation

BSC

Information sheet describing techniques for insulating basements.

Bay Area Seismic Retrofit

2020

Bay Area Retrofit

YouTube channel featuring 90+ videos to educate Bay Area homeowners and contractors about seismic retrofitting, including information for various home and construction types.

Ceiling Fan Basics

2020

ENERGY STAR

ENRGY STAR webpage discussing the basics of certified ceiling fans.

Ceiling Fans - Tips for Maximizing Energy Savings

2008

Calwell Chris,

Horowitz Noah

Massachusetts Department of Energy,

Commonwealth of Massachusetts,

Home Energy Magazine,

State of Massachusetts

Article describing customer tip sheet and how ceiling fans are one of the most popular and generally well regarded of all home energy efficiency features.

Ceiling Fans Key Product Criteria

2020

ENERGY STAR

Website that describes two ceiling fan types and their respective ENERGY STAR eligible product types.

Concrete Floor Problems, BSI-003

2008

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Information guide describing issues with concrete floors, in multiple climate zones.

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.

Cooling with a Whole-House Fan

2022

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

DOE Energy Saver webpage summarizing the use of whole-house fans for cooling.

Cooling with Ventilation

1986

Chandra Subrato,

Houston Michael M,

Fairey Philip W

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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.

Crawlspace Insulation

2009

Southface Energy Institute,

et al.

ORNL,

SEI,

DOE

Information sheet about crawlspace insulation, including installation details.

Designing Houses That Keep Their Cool

2013

Wilson Alex

Green Building Advisor

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.

ECM Motors: An Energy Saving Opportunity

2016

Office of Research Facilities

ORF

Bulletin describing the components of ECM motors and comparing their efficiency with PSC motors.

Effect of Residential Ventilation Techniques for Hot and Humid Climates on Indoor Concentrations and Emission Rates of Volatile Organic Compounds

2005

Hodgson Alfred T,

Moyer Neil,

Beal David

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

A report describing six mechanical ventilation strategies that were evaluated for their ability to control indoor humidity levels over 14-day periods with simulated occupancy.

Energy Efficiency Standards

2025

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LBNL

Website describing analyses for products and standards affecting home heating, cooling, and appliances, in regards to technical, economical, and energy efficiency pathways.

ENERGY STAR Certified Ceiling Fans

2014

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA,

ENERGY STAR

Website providing consumer information about ceiling fans, including specifications and buying guidance.

ENERGY STAR Certified Ventilating Fans

2013

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

ENERGY STAR

Factsheet describing the benefits of purchasing and installing ENERGY STAR rated fans and ventilation products.

ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements Product Specification for Residential Ventilating Fans - Eligibility Criteria Eligibility Criteria Version 4.0

2016

ENERGY STAR

Program criteria for residential exhaust fans used for ventilation.

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.

Evaluation of Retrofit Variable-Speed Furnace Fan Motors

2014

Aldrich Robb,

Williamson Jim

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report detailing the effects of replacing PSC motors with more efficient, variable-speed motors.

Fans for Cooling

2020

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

DOE webpage that gives and overview of fans for cooling.

Fans to Reduce Cooling Costs in the Southeast

1985

Florida Solar Energy Center

FSEC

FSEC PDF guide on effective fan types and placement in the Southeast.

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.

Gossamer Wind Ceiling Fans

2014

Florida Solar Energy Center,

University of Central Florida

FSEC,

UCF

Website providing information about the Gossamer Wind Series Ceiling fans, conceived by Danny Parker at the Florida Solar Energy Center as a means of realizing the energy efficiency and comfort potential of ceiling fans.

Home Ventilating Institute

2020

Home Ventilating Institute

Website providing certified rating programs to help manufacturers, builders, contractors and homeowners compare performance of ventilation products for air flow, sound, and other performance characteristics.

Homeowner's Guide to Retrofitting - Six Ways to Protect Your House From Flooding, FEMA I-235

2020

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Brochure describing FEMA documents and foundation tips for floodproofing homes.

How Much Ventilation Do I Need?

2018

Home Ventilating Institute

Website with articles on home ventilation and indoor air quality.

How to Insulate a Basement Wall

2012

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Blog entry describing methods for insulating basement walls on the interior or exterior.

How to Insulate Your Basement

2022

Mathews Erin

This Old House

An article and video of a breakdown on the preparation and installation of basement insulation.

HVI Airflow Test Procedure

2015

Home Ventilating Institute

HVI

Publication specifying HVI’s prescriptive procedures for testing and rating airflow of residential ventilation products in accordance with ANSI consensus standards.

HVI Certification Program Policies and Procedures

2020

Home Ventilating Institute

HVI

Publication describing the requirements and procedures for the certified performance ratings program for residential ventilation products administered by the Home Ventilating Institute.

HVI Certified Products Directory

2020

Home Ventilating Institute

HVI

Website providing an online directory of more than 3,600 residential ventilation products lisiting flowrates, sones, watts, and other performance metrics; all listed products have been tested by the Home Ventilating Institute.

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.

Impact of Residential Mechanical Ventilation on Energy Cost and Humidity Control

2014

Martin Eric

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC,

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS

The study described in this white paper is based on building energy modeling with an important focus on the indoor humidity impacts of ventilation.

Improving Comfort, Saving Energy with Large Circulator Fans

2008

Aynsley Richard

Big Ass Fans,

HPAC Engineering

Article describing how air speed affects thermal comfort and how fans can provide energy savings.

Indoor Air Pollution from Cooking

2020

California Air Resources Board,

California Environmental Protection Agency

CARB,

CalEPA

Article describing ways home owners can improve ventilation in their kitchens.

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.

Measure Guideline: Basement Insulation Basics

2012

Aldrich Robb,

Mantha Pallavi,

Puttagunta Srikanth

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA

Document describing good practices for insulating basements in new and existing homes.