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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 1001 - 1050 of 1741

LEED v4.1 Certification Program

Author(s)
U.S Green Building Council
Organization(s)
USGBC
Publication Date
Website explaining the LEED v4.1 program and providing a portal for those who want to investigate or start a LEED project.

Light Bulb Key Product Criteria

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
ENERGY STAR lightbulb criteria.

Light Bulbs

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
A website explaining why homeowners should install ENERGY STAR certified lightbulbs, which helps to save homeowners on utility bills and protect the environment.

Light Your Home

Author(s)
American Lighting Association
Organization(s)
ALA
Publication Date
American Lighting Association website homepage.

Lighting Choices to Save You Money

Author(s)
Energy Saver,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage describing high-efficiency lighting choices for homeowners including LEDs, CFLs, and halogen bulbs.

Lighting Controls

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
A website exploring the use of lighting controls products like dimmers, motion sensors and timers to save energy in the home.

Lighting Principles and Terms

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
A website explaining basic lighting principles and terms & how they are applied to the home.

List of Codes & Standards

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Webpage published by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) that lists more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks.

Living on the Coast: Protecting Investments in Shore Property on the Great Lakes

Author(s)
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
U.S. Geological Survey,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Organization(s)
WRI,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
USGS,
NOAA
Publication Date
A publication describing how to protect coastal investments by adapting to natural processes and protecting coastal environments and shorelines.

Living with Fire: Homeowners' Firesafe Guide for Montana

Author(s)
FireSafe Montana
Organization(s)
FireSafe Montana
Publication Date
Guide for homeowners describing actions they can take to modify their home and the surrounding site to create a survivable space to reduce the amount of damage a home would likely experience during a wildfire.

Load Calculation Tools for Ductless Heat Pumps

Author(s)
BetterBuilt Northwest,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Organization(s)
BetterBuiltNW,
NEEA
Publication Date
Web article describing two options for sizing ductless minisplit heat pumps, including a free HVAC sizing tool.

Load Paths, FEMA Technical Fact Sheet No. 4.1 

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Factsheet describing the concept of load paths and the important connections in a wind uplift load path; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Low-e Storm Windows: Market Assessment and Pathways to Market Transformation

Author(s)
Cort Katherine A
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Technical report assessing the market for Low-e storm windows based on market data, case studies, and recent experience with weatherization deployment programs.

Lowest Floor Elevation, FEMA Technical Fact Sheet No. 1.4

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Fact sheet defining “lowest floor,” identifying common construction practices that are violations of NFIP regulations, and discussing benefits of exceeding the NFIP minimum building elevation requirements; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...

Lumens and the Lighting Facts Label

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
A website explaining lumens & how to compare the amount of light that lightbulbs can produce when shopping for replacements.

Maine Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) Interactive Tour

Author(s)
D+R Learn,
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships,
Home Works Energy Inc.,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE,
NEEP
Publication Date
This webpage provides an interactive walk-through of the installation of a heat pump water heater in a home in Maine, including how-to videos of the installation, video interviews with the homeowners, installer, and utility program partners, and visual tours of the home before and after installation...

Maintain Defensible Space

Author(s)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Organization(s)
Cal Fire
Publication Date
A webpage outlining CAL FIRE’s recommendations for creating defensible space.

Makeup Air for Range Hoods

Author(s)
Holladay Martin
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor,
GBA
Publication Date
If your kitchen has a powerful exhaust fan, it may be pulling air down your chimney or water-heater flue.

Manufactured Home Factory Duct Leakage Testing

Author(s)
Slipstream
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Factsheet describing how to test the duct leakage of a manufactured home in the manufactured home factory.

Map of Radon Zones

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Website providing links to the EPA developed map of radon risk in the United States.

Map of Radon Zones

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

Masonry Detailing Series

Author(s)
International Masonry Institute
Organization(s)
International Masonry Institute
Publication Date
Webpage featuring hundreds of illustrations of masonry construction details for brick, congrete, stone, tile, stucco, etc.

Masonry Details, FEMA Technical Fact Sheet No. 4.2

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing important roof-to-wall and wall-to-foundation connection details for masonry construction in coastal areas, including load paths, building materials, and reinforcement; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Mass Save Deep Energy Retrofit Builder Guide, GM-1302

Author(s)
Neuhauser Ken,
Gates Cathy,
Pettit Betsy
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Mastic Home Exteriors Installation Guide

Author(s)
Ply Gem Siding Group
Organization(s)
Ply Gem Siding Group
Publication Date
Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.

Measure Guideline: Buried and/or Encapsulated Ducts

Author(s)
Mantha Pallavi,
Zoeller William,
Shapiro Carl
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Project discussing buried or encapsulated ducts and their pros and cons.

Measured and Simulated Performance of Reflective Roofing Systems in Residential Buildings

Author(s)
Huang Yu Joe,
Konopacki Steven,
Gartland Lisa,
Gu Lixing,
Parker Danny S,
Sherwin John S
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
Study investigating measured cooling energy savings in homes across the U.S. from the installation of roofing with higher solar reflectance.

Measured Impacts of Air Conditioner Condenser Shading

Author(s)
Sonne Jeffrey K,
Parker Danny S,
Barkaszi Stephen F
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Paper describing energy savings in space cooling from shading condenser units.

Measured Performance of Heat Pump Clothes Dryers

Author(s)
Martin Eric,
Sutherland Karen,
Parker Danny S
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Repor ourlining testing results from a 53 home monitored sample, long-term energy use of electric resistance clothes dryers.

Measured Retrofit Savings from Efficient Lighting and Smart Power Strips

Author(s)
Sutherland Karen,
Chasar Dave,
Hoak David,
Parker Danny S
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Report describing a lighting and smart power strip retrofit evaluation that was conducted on 56 all-electric, existing Florida homes to see how lighting and miscellaneous electric loads might be reduced.

Measurement of the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient and U Value of Windows with Insect Screens

Author(s)
Brunger Alfred,
Harrison Stephen,
Dubrous Francois M
Organization(s)
American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating,
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Technical article presenting the results of an analysis on the effect of insect screens on window solar heat gain coefficients and U-values.

Mechanical Insulation Design Guide - Installation

Author(s)
National Mechanical Insulation Committee
Organization(s)
NMIC
Publication Date
Web resource that lays out the pre-work considerations, methods and finishes for installing mechanical insulation.

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.

Metal Roof Installation Manual

Author(s)
Metal Construction Association
Organization(s)
MCA
Publication Date
An installation training manual discussing the installation of metal roofing materials and related accessories, for both new construction and retrofit projects.

Metal Roof Systems in High-Wind Regions - Hurricane Ike Recovery Advisory

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
A Recovery Advisory guide reccomending practices for designing and installing metal roof systems that will enhance wind resistance in high-wind regions (i.e., greater than 90-miles per hour [mph] gust design wind speed).

Method of Test for Determining the Design and Seasonal Efficiencies of Residential Thermal Distribution Systems, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 152-2014

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
American National Standards Institute
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
ANSI
Publication Date
Standard that prescribes a testing method to determine the efficiency of space heating and/or cooling thermal distribution systems under seasonal and design conditions. This version of the standard was published in the year 2014, and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. The...

Method of Testing General Ventilation Air-Cleaning Devices for Removal Efficiency by Particle Size, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 52.2-2017

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
ANSI
Publication Date
Standard establishing a test procedure for evaluating the performance of air-cleaning devices as a function of particle size. This is the current version of the standard, which was published in the year 2017, and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. The ASHRAE bookstore also...