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Library

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 86 results:

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.

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

Basement Insulation Systems, BA-0202

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
·
Organization(s)
BSC
Description
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

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Southface Energy Institute
·
Organization(s)
SEI,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Fact sheet describing basement insulation considerations.

Basement Insulation, Info 511

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
·
Organization(s)
BSC
Description
Information sheet describing techniques for insulating basements.

Bay Area Seismic Retrofit

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Bay Area Retrofit
Description
YouTube channel featuring 90+ videos to educate Bay Area homeowners and contractors about seismic retrofitting, including information for various home and construction types.

Building a Better Trombe Wall

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
NREL
Description
Fact sheet providing background and technical information on Trombe wall design

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.

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.

Concrete Floor Problems, BSI-003

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Description
Information guide describing issues with concrete floors, in multiple climate zones.

Crawlspace Insulation

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Southface Energy Institute,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
ORNL,
SEI,
DOE
Description
Information sheet about crawlspace insulation, including installation details.

DOE Solar Decathlon Website

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Solar Decathlon,
U.S. Department of Energy
·
Organization(s)
DOE
Description
Website for the U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon competition.

Electric Fan Use for Cooling During Hot Weather: A Biophysical Modelling Study

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Morris Nathan B,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
University of Sydney,
University of Copenhagen,
University of Montreal,
Monash University,
The Lancet Planetary Health,
The Lancet Group
Description
Study testing the effect of fan cooling on healthy adults at increased ambient temperatures.

EPA Region 8 Headquarters

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA
Description
Brochure providing information on the design of the EPA Region 8 headquarters in Denver, CO.

FEMA Continuous Load Path

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
·
Organization(s)
FEMA
Description
Article explaining what a continuous load path is and the key connection points that make it up.

Fixing Wet Basements and Crawlspaces

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Todd Jason
·
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Description
Article describing methods to manage moisture, rainwater, and vapor in basements and crawlspaces.

Foundation Design Handbook

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Carmody John,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
University of Minnesota
Description
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

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Williams Randy
·
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor,
GBA
Description
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

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Holladay Martin
·
Organization(s)
Fine Homebuilding
Description
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.

Homeowner's and Renter's Guide to Reducing Radon After Disasters

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
·
Organization(s)
EPA,
FEMA,
HUD
Description
Homeowner guidance from EPA, FEMA, HUD, and NIH on dealing with radon following a natural disaster.

How to Create a Naturally Cool Building

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Williams Jeremy
·
Organization(s)
The Earthbound Report
Description
Article from The Earthbound Report on passive cooling design strategies for homes located in hot climates.

How to Insulate a Basement Wall

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Holladay Martin
·
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor,
GBA
Description
Blog entry describing methods for insulating basement walls on the interior or exterior.

How to Insulate Your Basement

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Mathews Erin
·
Organization(s)
This Old House
Description
An article and video of a breakdown on the preparation and installation of basement insulation.

Indoor AirPlus Program Documents

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA
Description
Website providing the technical specifications and related documents for home builders, subcontractors, architects, and other housing professionals interested in certifying a home to the EPA's Indoor airPLUS program requirements.

Innovation in Frost Protected Shallow Foundations

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Green Home Institute
·
Organization(s)
Green Home Institute
Description
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

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Green Home Institute
·
Organization(s)
Green Home Institute
Description
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.

Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rules

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA
Description
EPA’s 2008 Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule (as amended in 2010 and 2011), aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities.

Map of Radon Zones

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA
Description
The purpose of this map is to assist national, state and local organizations to target their resources and to implement radon-resistant building codes.

Measure Guideline: Basement Insulation Basics

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Mantha Pallavi,
Puttagunta Srikanth
·
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Description
Document describing good practices for insulating basements in new and existing homes.

NightCool: A Nocturnal Radiation Cooling Concept

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Parker Danny S,
Hermelink Andreas H,
Sherwin John S
·
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Description
Report about an experimental evaluation has been conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.