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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 - 50 of 131

ACCA Manual RS - Comfort, Air Quality, and Efficiency by Design

Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
The manual covers residential zoning issues - multiple, single-zone, and central multi-zone systems - and includes advice on working with homeowners to adapt the heating or cooling system design to meet modern home design features.

Standard Specification for Elastomeric Cellular Preformed Gasket and Sealing Material, ASTM C509-06(2011)

Author(s)
American Society for Testing and Materials,
ASTM International
Organization(s)
ASTM
Publication Date
Standard specification covering elastomeric cellular preformed gasket and sealing materials. This version of the standard was published in the year 2011 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. Other versions of the standard were published in the years 2021, 2015, 2006, and...

2012 International Energy Conservation Code - IECC

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2012 edition of code establishing a baseline for energy efficiency by setting performance standards for the building envelope (defined as the boundary that separates heated/cooled air from unconditioned, outside air), mechanical systems, lighting systems and service water heating systems in homes...

2012 International Fuel Gas Code - IFGC

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2012 edition of code establishing a baseline for the design and installation of fuel gas systems and gas fired appliances through performance requirements.

Field Evaluation of Four Novel Roof Designs for Energy-Efficient Manufactured Homes

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Ansanelli Eric,
Dadia D,
Levy Emanuel,
Barker Greg M,
Rath Pournamasi
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES
Publication Date
Report of a field evaluation of four novel roof designs to see how each design would reduce space-conditioned energy use so that the knowledge gained could be applied to the design of new manufactured homes.

Don’t Try Building Hugel Swales

Author(s)
Spirko Jack
Organization(s)
Permaculture Research Institute
Publication Date
Article describing the difference between swales and hugels (berms used to create soil from woody debris).

Window Shades Recalled by Carra Imports

Author(s)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Organization(s)
CPSC
Publication Date
Webpage documenting a recall of a window shade product.

Building America Research-to-Market Plan

Author(s)
Werling Eric
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report presenting the building america research to market plan.

Combustion Safety Simplified Test Protocol Field Study

Author(s)
Brand Larry,
Shen L,
Gloss S,
Bohac Dave,
Francisco Paul W.,
Cautley Dan
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
NothernSTAR,
NSTAR,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report on a simplified test procedure for combustion safety that is easier to implement and should produce fewer false positives than the previous procedure.

National HVAC Design Report 1

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
This report is designed to meet ASHRAE 62.2-2010/2013 and ANSI/ACCA’s 5 QI-2015 protocol, thereby improving the performance of HVAC equipment in new homes when compared to homes built to minimum code.

2015 International Mechanical Code - IMC

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
2015 edition of code establishing minimum regulations for mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, ducts, fireplaces, combustion and hydronic systems, using prescriptive and performance-related provisions.

Energy Savings Potential of Radiative Cooling Technologies

Author(s)
Fernandez Nick,
Wang Weimin,
Alvine Kyle J,
Katipamula Srinivas
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Technical report evaluating the energy savings potential of radiative cooling technologies, particularly photonic 'selective emittance' materials.

Durability by Design: 2nd Edition: A Professional's Guide to Durable Home Design

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
Office of Policy Development and Research
Organization(s)
HUD,
PD&R
Publication Date
Designer checklist covering hazards involving ground and surface water, rain and water vapor, HVAC and plumbing, sunlight, insects, decay, and natural hazards, and builder checklist covering all disaster resistance, sorted by building component.

Enhancing Community Resilience through Energy Efficiency, ACEEE-U1508

Author(s)
Ribeiro David,
Mackres Eric,
Baatz Brendon,
Cluett Rachel,
Jarrett Michael,
Kelly Meegan,
Vaidyanathan Shruti
Organization(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy,
ACEEE
Publication Date
Report describing the research gap in the connection between resilience and energy efficiency.

Evaluation of Cellular Shades in the PNNL Lab Homes

Author(s)
Peterson Joseph M,
Sullivan Greg P,
Cort Katherine A,
Merzouk Massine B,
Weber JM
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Report describing the methods and results of a field evaluation of the energy performance of cellular shade window coverings.

Evaluation of Interior Low-E Storm Windows in the PNNL Lab Homes

Author(s)
Petersen Joseph M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Report describing a research study of the performance of interior low-E storm windows in two test houses at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA.

How to Find Indoor airPLUS Compliant Low Emission Products

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Companion document to the Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications, providing guidance on identifying compliant products, including industry databases and examples of product labeling.

Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications, Version 1 (Rev. 04)

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Document outlining specifications that were developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize new homes equipped with a comprehensive set of indoor air quality (IAQ) features.

Snow Loads

Author(s)
Wilkerson
Organization(s)
Medeek Design
Publication Date
Webpage providing information about design snow loads and a free interactive ground snow load mapping tool for the contiguous United States, as well as snow load calculation methods.

Using Solar Hot Water to Address Piping Heat Losses in Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
Springer David,
Seitzler Matt,
Backman Christine,
Weitzel Elizabeth
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report on investigating the effectiveness of using solar thermal water heaters to address heat losses from piping while recirculating water in multifamily buildings.

HVI Airflow Test Procedure

Author(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Organization(s)
HVI
Publication Date
Publication specifying HVI’s prescriptive procedures for testing and rating airflow of residential ventilation products in accordance with ANSI consensus standards.

Low-Cost Radon Reduction Pilot Study

Author(s)
Francisco Paul W.,
Rose William B,
Merrin Zachary
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
Indoor Climate Research and Training,
Illinois Sustainable Technology Center,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report on the impact of air sealing between the foundation and the living space on radon transport reduction across the foundation and living space floor assembly at fifteen home.

Field Trial of an Aerosol-Based Enclosure Sealing Technology

Author(s)
Springer David,
Harrington Curtis
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report presenting the results from several demonstrations of a new method for sealing building envelop air leaks.

Small Wind Site Assessment Guidelines

Author(s)
Olsen Tim,
Preus Robert
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Technical report providing site selection guidance for installation of small wind turbines.

Smoke-Free Public Housing and Multifamily Properties

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Organization(s)
HUD
Publication Date
Toolkits for residents and owner/managers who live and work in federally assisted housing.

Wood Stoves, Fireplaces, Pellet Stoves, and Masonry Heaters

Author(s)
Washington State Department of Ecology
Organization(s)
Washington State Department of Ecology
Publication Date
Webpage describing burn bans, which wood burning devices are legal in Washington, why wood smoke is harmful to health, and how to reduce the smoke from your wood burning device.

Implementing a Zero Energy Ready Home Multifamily Project

Author(s)
Springer David,
German Alea
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report on on lessons learned from building one multifamily home to the Zero Energy Ready Home program requirements.

Construction of Low-Rise Buildings in Cyclone Prone Areas and Modification of Cyclone

Author(s)
Keote Shreyas Ashok,
Kumar Dhanendra,
Singh Rishabh
Organization(s)
Journal of Energy and Power Sources,
Indian Institute of Technology BHU Varanasi,
IIT BHU
Publication Date
Article describing construction best practices to help reduce the wind-induced pressure loads on a low-rise building during a hurricane.

Concrete and Clay Tile - Installation Manual

Author(s)
Tile Roofing Institute,
Western States Roofing Contractors Association
Organization(s)
TRI,
WSRCA
Publication Date
Installation manual outlining proper installation practices, industry standards and the code requirements of roofing tiles.

Cool Hand Luke Meets Attics, BSI-077

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Article describing the difference between conditioned or unvented attics and unconditioned or vented attics.

Climate-Specific Passive Building Standards

Author(s)
Wright Graham S,
Klingenberg Katrin
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report on improving passive design adoption rates.

Retrofitting a 1960s Split-Level, Cold-Climate Home

Author(s)
Puttagunta Srikanth
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report on air-sealing programs for energy-efficiency retrofits.