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Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 1 - 46 of 46

2021 IBC - International Building Code

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2021 edition of code for commercial buildings that brings together all structural, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for all buildings except detached one- and two-family residences and townhouses up to three stories.

2021 IEBC - International Existing Building Code

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2021 edition of code establishing a baseline for existing building retrofits to reach appropriate safety levels under new construction requirements covered in other ICC codes.

Air Distribution Retrofit Strategies for Affordable Housing

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Conlin Francis,
Holloway Parker,
Podorson David,
Varshney Kapil
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing two retrofit duct sealing techniques - manually-applied sealants and injecting a spray sealant, that were implemented in several low-rise multi-unit buildings in North Carolina.

Are Your Multi-Family Buildings Accessible?

Author(s)
Stratton Petter A
Organization(s)
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Document highlighting federal accessibility laws which may apply to a housing development, and common mistakes made in the field which, if avoided, will help to ensure compliance.

Assessment of Suite Compartmentalization and Depressurization in New High-Rise Residential Buildings: Final Report

Author(s)
Cooke George
Organization(s)
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation,
Tridel Group of Companies
Publication Date
Technical report describing the evaluation of air management systems in a high-rise apartment building in Toronto, Ontario, focusing on air leakage, suite depressurization, and the performance of in-suite exhaust and corridor ventilation systems.

Bay Ridge Gardens - Mixed Humid Affordable Multifamily Housing Deep Energy Retrofit

Author(s)
Lyons James,
Moore Mike,
Thompson Margo
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Newport Ventures,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report summarizing commissioning, short-term testing, utility bill data analysis, and results of on-site monitoring of a deep energy retrofit.

Change Is In the Air

Author(s)
The Cadmus Group
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
HUD
Publication Date
This is a guide for establishing smoke-free policies in public housing and multifamily properties.

Coastal Climate Resiliency - Retrofitting Buildings for Flood Risk

Author(s)
Department of City Planning New York City
Organization(s)
Department of City Planning New York City
Publication Date
Report describing retrofitting options and methodology for architects, developers, and property owners to use when making decisions about retrofits for common building types in NY.

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home PV-Ready Checklist (Revision 07)

Author(s)
Zero Energy Ready Home,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
ZERH,
DOE
Publication Date
Checklist for the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home National Program Requirements Mandatory Requirement 7 (Renewable Ready).

Energy Efficient Low-Income Housing Program: PIER Final Project Report

Author(s)
ADM Associates,
California Energy Commission,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Florida Solar Energy Center
Organization(s)
CEC,
LBNL,
FSEC
Publication Date
Research project addressing low-cost options that reduce monthly energy costs and improve the quality of life by enhancing comfort levels in low-income homes.

Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Homepage for NREL research, support, and deployment information for the safety and health of workers, visitors, the public, the environment, and laboratory assets.

Evaluation of Ventilation Strategies in New Construction Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
Maxwell Sean,
Berger David,
Zuluaga Marc
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report outlining research that helps inform best practices for air sealing multi-family buildings in the Northeast.

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Website of the Federal Emergency Management Agency

Fixing Air Leakage in Connecticut Town Houses

Author(s)
Moriarta Courtney
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine,
National Property Inspections,
NPI
Publication Date
Journal article describing energy and cost savings potential from air sealing multifamily town homes.

Fort Benning Indianhead Townhome Renovations

Author(s)
Stephenson R,
Roberts S,
Butler Tom,
Kim E
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Southface Energy Institute,
SEI
Publication Date
Report outlining the energy upgrade package implemented in Ft. Benning, GA, Indianhead Townhomes project and the findings of the Southface Energy Institute's post-renovation analysis.

Get Rid of Rats and Mice

Author(s)
King County Washington
Organization(s)
King County WA
Publication Date
Article describing a 9-step process to getting rid of rats and mice, and some preventative actions to take.

Heat Island Group - Berkeley Lab

Author(s)
Heat Island Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
LBNL webpage introducing heat island effect and cool materials concepts, and providing links to LBNL pages explaining cool pavements, cool roofs, and cool walls.

Measure Guideline: Air Sealing Attics in Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
Maxwell Sean,
Otis Casey
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Document providing an understanding of the importance of the different types of multifamily building attics and their unique challenges, and outlines strategies and materials used in air sealing them.

Mesothelioma.net

Author(s)
Mesothelioma.net
Organization(s)
Mesothelioma.net
Publication Date
Website providing medical information about malignant mesothelioma, a cancer related to asbestos exposure.

Mini-Split Heat Pumps Multifamily Retrofit Feasibility Study

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Henderson Hugh,
Podorson David
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
This report investigates whether mini-split heat pumps can live up to their potential for one market segment: multifamily retrofits.

Multifamily Ventilation Retrofit Strategies

Author(s)
Ueno Kohta,
Bergey Daniel,
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study examining the performance of existing multifamily ventilation central systems and explored alternative solutions in retrofit situations.

National Fire Protection Association

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
National Fire Protection Association website.

Predicting Envelope Leakage in Attached Dwellings

Author(s)
Faakye Omari,
Arena Lois,
Griffiths Dianne
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study exploring a test method measuring air leakage between units through common surfaces and air infiltration across exterior, noncommon surfaces of the enclosure.

Public Housing: A Tailored Approach to Energy Retrofits

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Conlin Francis,
Podorson David,
Alaigh Kunal,
Davis T
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report presenting ways public housing authorities (PHAs) can develop packages of energy efficiency retrofit measures the PHAs can cost-effectively implement with their own staff in the normal course of housing operations at the time when units are refurbished between occupancies.

Residential Solar System Guidelines

Author(s)
City of Burnsville
Organization(s)
City of Burnsville
Publication Date
Brochure detailing the guidelines, recommendations, and preferences of the City of Burnsville for citizens installing solar photovoltaics.

Results From Development of Model Specifications for Multifamily Energy Retrofits

Author(s)
Brozyna Kevin
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report describing how modification of model specifications to include guidance on energy efficiency measures can create a greater level of consistency in executing energy efficiency retrofit measures across the multiple regions where a developer may work.

Retrofit of a MultiFamily Mass Masonry Building in New England

Author(s)
Ueno Kohta,
Kerrigan Philip,
Wytrykowska Honorata,
Van Straaten R
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Research study about a high performance retrofit of an existing brick building (a former convent) into condominiums, all affordable housing.

Smoke-Free Housing

Author(s)
Tobacco Free NYS
Organization(s)
Tobacco Free NYS
Publication Date
Initiatives of smoke-free housing policies in New York State.

Standard 62.2-2016 - Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, ANSI/ASHRAE

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Standard that defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. This version of the standard was published in the year 2016, and is available for...

Stop Pests in Housing

Author(s)
Northeastern IPM Center
Organization(s)
Northeastern IPM Center
Publication Date
Website providing information on all types of pest management for multi-family housing.

Stop Pests in Housing - Rodents

Author(s)
Stop Pests
Organization(s)
Stop Pests
Publication Date
Webpage providing information how to deal with rodents by knowing what they look like, where they live, and what they do.

The State of the Nation's Housing 2010

Author(s)
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
Organization(s)
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
Publication Date
Even as the worst housing market correction in more than 60 years appeared to turn a corner in 2009, the fallout from sharply lower home prices and high unemployment continued.

Unintended Consequences Suck, BSI-069

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Publication Date
Article describing the impact of increasingly stringent ventilation standards on multifamily buildings, highlighting the inefficiencies and challenges of exhaust-only ventilation in tightly sealed enclosures, the complications of achieving balanced ventilation, and the unintended consequences of...

Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2010

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
ANSI
Publication Date
Standard that defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. This version of the standard was published in the year 2010, and is available for...

WaterSense High-Efficiency Lavatory Faucet Specification

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
WaterSense
Organization(s)
EPA,
WaterSense
Publication Date
Specification of criteria for lavatory faucets and faucet accessories under the U.S. EPA WaterSense Program.

West Village Student Housing Phase I: Apartment Monitoring and Evaluation

Author(s)
German Alea,
Bell Colin W,
Dakin Bill,
Hoeschele Marc
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report assessing the performance and cost-effectiveness of a zero net energy community project in Davis, CA.