Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 104 results:

A Bridge Too Far, BSI-005

2008

Lstiburek Joseph

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing thermal bridging, construction practices that encourage thermal bridging, and solutions.

Advanced Framing: Using Wood Efficiently from Optimizing Design to Minimizing the Dumpster, BA-0201

2002

Baczek Steven,

Yost Peter,

Finegan Stephanie

Building Science Corporation

Report describing approaches to using less wood in home building that minimize waste.

Advanced Wall Framing

2002

Southface Energy Institute,

et al.

NAHB,

SEI,

ORNL,

NREL

Fact sheet describing advanced wall framing.

Air Leakage in Recessed Lighting

2002

Van der Meer Bill

Pennsylvania Housing Research/Resource Center,

PHRC

Article describing recessed lighting, which if installed incorrectly may contribute to air leakage and compromise building envelope efficiency.

Alaska Residential Building Manual, 7th Edition

2008

Deer Charlie,

et al.

University of Alaska,

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation

Manual describing best practices or home construction in Alaska and northern climates.

Assessing the Impact of Thickness of the Performance of Stucco Cladding

2004

Brown William C,

Dietrich Mike,

Latimer Mark

American Society of Heating,

American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,

ASHRAE

A report that evaluates the force it takes to crack stucco of various thicknesses.

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.

Better Duct Systems for Home Heating and Cooling; Building Technologies Program (Brochure)

2004

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL

Brochure intended to provide readers with a working knowledge of residential heating and cooling duct systems.

Boiler Inspections for Safety, Life and Efficiency

2008

Kleva Stephen

Contractor Magazine

Article explaining the importance of regular inspections of boiler systems in maintaining their safety, lifespan, and efficiency.

Builder System Performance Package Targeting 30% - 40% Savings in Space Conditioning Energy Use: December 2002 - December 2003

2004

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

Steven Winter Associates

CARB,

NREL,

SWA

Report describing the recommended best practices to achieve energy savings without compromising health or safety.

Builder's Guide to Hot-Dry & Mixed-Dry Climates

2004

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in the Hot and Humid Climate, Volume 1

2004

Baechler Michael C,

Love Pat M

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Document providing a resource to help builders large and small build high-quality, energy-efficient homes that achieve 30% energy savings in space conditioning and water heating in the hot and humid climate.

Building a 40% Energy Savings House in the Mixed Humid Climate

2008

Christian Jeffrey E,

Bonar Jacob

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Presentation about building highly efficient, affordable homes that will achieve 40% whole-house energy savings in mixed-humid climates.

Building America Performance Analysis Procedures, Revision 1

2004

Hendron Robert,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Partnership for Resource Conservation,

Mountain Energy Partnership,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Document illustrating some analysis concepts that are proven to be effective and reliable in analyzing the transient energy usage of advanced energy systems as well as of entire houses.

Building America Research Benchmark Definition - Updated December 19, 2008

2008

Hendron Robert

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Document describing the Building America research benchmark for the residential building program.

Building Science Corporation (BSC) Building America Quality Control Checklist, GM-0802

2008

Building Science Corporation

BSC

Document with the Quality Control Checklist developed as both a guide to assist in the transition to high performance home building, and as a simplified tool to be used as part of any builder's on-site quality control procedures.

Cantilevers, Technical Bulletin F2

2002

Advanced Energy

Information sheet containing images and descriptions of cantilevers.

Ceiling Fans - Tips for Maximizing Energy Savings

2008

Calwell Chris,

Horowitz Noah

Massachusetts Department of Energy,

Commonwealth of Massachusetts,

Home Energy Magazine,

State of Massachusetts

Article describing customer tip sheet and how ceiling fans are one of the most popular and generally well regarded of all home energy efficiency features.

Choosing Thermostatic Radiator Valves

2004

Gifford Henry

American Boiler Manufacturers Association

Part 2 of an article discussing how to maximize two-pipe steam systems for resident space heating.

Closed Crawl Space Performance: Proof of Concept in the Production Builder Marketplace

2008

Dastur Cyrus,

Mauceri Maria,

Hannas Benjamin

Advanced Energy

Report aimed to quantify the impact of closed crawlspaces in new homes, and investigate modeling software to ensure accuracy of energy consumption predictions in these homes.

Community-Scale Evaluation Results, BA-0405

2004

Building Science Corporation

BSC

Report investigating the nature, strength, and durability of connections between high performance dwellings and developments.

Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Roofing Systems on Residential Cooling Energy Demand in Florida

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Study investigating measured cooling energy performance in side-by-side identical homes with varying roof types, including cool roof technologies.

Concrete Floor Problems, BSI-003

2008

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

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

Concrete Floors and Moisture, 2nd Edition

2008

Kanare Howard M

Portland Cement Association

Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.

Conditioned Crawl Space Construction, Performance and Codes, BA-0401

2004

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report outlining how conditioned crawlspaces perform better than vented crawlspaces in terms of safety, health, comfort, durability and energy consumption.

Cool Colored Materials for Roofs

2004

Akbari Hashem,

et al.

California Energy Commission,

CEC,

Public Interest Energy Research Program,

PIER,

Laboratory Directed Research and Development,

LDRD,

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Study describing efforts and outcomes in developing color-pigmented roofing products with coatings to increase solar reflectance.

Cooling Related Performance of Finished and Unfinished Metal Roofing Systems

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of finished and unfinished metal roofing systems on cooling energy performance in a test facility.

Defensible Space - Home Builder’s Guide to Construction in Wildfire Zones, FEMA 4

2008

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Technical fact sheet proving information on creating defensible space to reduce the risk of damage from fires to property.

Design and Construction of Interior Duct System

2002

McIlvaine Janet E R,

Beal David,

Fairey Philip W

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

This study focuses on the design, construction, and performance of the interior chase approach as implemented by five different builders in Texas, North Carolina, and Florida.

Energy Retrofitting Advanced Technologies in a Hot Climate, Henderson Nevada

2002

National Association of Home Builders

NAHB,

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,

HUD,

Office of Policy Development and Research,

PDR

Article from NAHB research center describing home building techniques for homes in hot climate zones.

Erosion and Sediment Control On Your Construction Site

2008

Community Development and Insfrastructure County of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz County CDI

Report describing construction site erosion and sediment control practices recommended and required by a county planning department.

Evaluation of the NightCool Nocturnal Radiation Cooling Concept: Annual Performance Assessment in Scale Test Buildings Stage Gate 1B

2008

Parker Danny S,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Report about an experimental evaluation conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

FEMA Anchor Fuel Tanks - Protecting your Property from Flooding

2008

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Factsheet for home and business owners describing ways to anchor fuel tanks to avoid displacement in floods.

FEMA Anchor Tall Bookcases and File Cabinets - Protecting Your Property from Earthquakes

2008

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Short guide from FEMA describing how to anchor tall bookcases and file cabinets during seismic events.

FEMA Build with Flood Damage Resistant Materials - Protecting Your Property from Flooding

2008

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Summary document describing flood resistant building materials and some tips for building flood resistant walls.

FEMA Flood Damage-Resistant Materials Requirements - for Buildings Located in Special Flood Hazard Areas in accordance with the National Flood Insurance Program, Technical Bulletin 2

2008

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Technical bulletin describing a set of standards for building materials able to withstand flood waters as needed with wet floodproofing.

FEMA Install Sewer Backflow Valves - Protecting Your Property from Flooding

2008

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Factsheet describing backflow valve benefits and tips.

FEMA Protecting Your Property from Earthquakes

2008

U.S. Department of Homeland Security,

Federal Emergency Management Agency,

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD,

FEMA,

DHS

Brochure detailing how to latch and lock cabinets and drawers to prevent injury to residents of the home.

Fiberglass Duct Board - Fabrication Instructions

2008

Johns Manville

Information sheet providing detail about hand fabrication of a one-piece straight duct from a 48" x 120" x 1" thick (1.22 m x 3.05 m x 25 mm) sheet where the total inside duct dimensions equals 112" (2.84 m) or less.

Field Manual: Safety Evaluation of Buildings after Windstorms and Floods, ATC-45

2004

Applied Technology Council

ATC

Report providing guidelines and procedures to determine whether damaged or potentially damaged buildings are safe for use after wind storms or floods, or if entry should be restricted or prohibited.

Fixing Air Leakage in Connecticut Town Houses

2008

Moriarta Courtney

Home Energy Magazine,

National Property Inspections,

NPI

Journal article describing energy and cost savings potential from air sealing multifamily town homes.

Flexible Roofing Facility: 2001 Summer Test Results

2002

Parker Danny S,

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Sherwin John S

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of various roof types on cooling energy performance in a test facility.

Florida Field Guide to Low Impact Development - Bioswales/Vegetated Swales

2008

University of Florida IFAS Extension

Brochure-guide describing swales and their qualities, including objective, maintenance, and design considerations.

Foil Bubble Pack: Subslab Insulation?

2004

Fulger Don

Home Energy

Article describing the effective R-values of various subslab insulation products, including foil bubble pack.

Gable End Retrofit Guide

2008

Florida Division of Emergency Management

Florida Disaster

Guide describing retrofit procedures for gable end roofs.

Gable-End Retrofits

2008

Reynolds Richard

Journal of Light Construction,

JLC

A builder's guide describing hurricane-resistant reinforcements for gable ends.

Garage Performance Testing

2004

Health Canada,

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

CMHC,

Environment Canada

Results from a research program testing airtightness, implications of air leakage and contaminant reduction over the garage-to-house interface.

Geothermal (Ground-Source) Heat Pumps: Market Status, Barriers to Adoption, and Actions to Overcome Barriers

2008

Hughes Patrick J

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report investigating the status of the geothermal heat pump (GHP) industry and technology in the United States, assembling GHP energy savings potential, identifying key barriers to application of GHPs, and identifying actions that could accelerate adoption of GHPs.

Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments

2008

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Report about indoor air quality related to indoor mold growth.