Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 70 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.

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.

Actions for Flood Resilient Homes: Wet Floodproofing

2020

City of Edina

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

Association of Pool and Spa Professionals

2020

The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals

APSP

View the APSP/ANSI Standards and codes below to get information about ANSI specifications for pools, spa and hot tubs.

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.

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.

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.

Choosing, Installing, and Operating an Efficient Swimming Pool Pump

2018

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

You can save energy and maintain a comfortable swimming pool temperature by using a smaller, higher efficiency pump and by operating it less.

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.

Concrete Floor Problems, BSI-003

2008

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

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

Crawlspace Insulation

2009

Southface Energy Institute,

et al.

ORNL,

SEI,

DOE

Information sheet about crawlspace insulation, including installation details.

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'.

Energy Star Pool Pump Calculator

2019

ENERGY STAR

Calculator to help homeowner's calculate the size of pool pump they need.

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.

Home Cooling Systems

2022

Energy Saver

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Website providing information on low-energy and standard cooling systems, with a focus on saving energy.

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 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.

How to Perform a Heat-Loss Calculation, Part I

2012

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Website blog with guidance about calculating heat-loss.

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.

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.

Make a Savings Splash with ENERGY STAR Certified Pool Pumps

2017

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Factsheet with information on energy efficient pool pumps.

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.

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.

Measure Guideline: Hybrid Foundation Insulation Retrofits

2012

Lstiburek Joseph W,

Ueno Kohta

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Document providing information on basement insulation, air sealing and water management retrofits.

Measure Guideline: Replacing Single-Speed Pool Pumps with Variable Speed Pumps for Energy Savings

2012

Hunt A,

Easley Steve

Building America Retrofit Alliance,

BARA,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Building Media

Research study showing that for a relatively small investment, a variable speed pool pump can reduce pool pump energy use by 50% to 75%.

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.

Needs of Non Energy-Focused Contractors

2012

Liaukus Christine

Building America Retrofit Alliance,

BARA,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report investigating what motivates remodelers to become energy-focused and what technical knowledge that need to be energy-focused.

NFIP Technical Bulletin 1: Requirements for Flood Openings in Foundation Walls and Walls of Enclosures - Below Elevated Buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas

2020

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Document describing guidance and requirements for flood openings in walls at and below grade.

Pool Pumps Key Product Criteria

2018

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA

Table of criteria for pool pumps to achieve ENERGY STAR certification.

Pool Volume Calculator

2021

swimmingpool.com

Swimmingpool.com

Calculator to help in calculating pool volume.