Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 98 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.

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.

Avoiding Moisture Problems

2003

Van der Meer Bill

National Association for State Community Services Programs,

NASCSP,

Weatherization Training Center at Penn College,

Pennsylvania College of Technology,

PCT

Technical article describing issues and moisture concerns related to weatherization efforts.

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.

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.

Characterization of Framing Factors for Wood-Framed Low-Rise Residential Buildings

2003

Carpenter Stephen C,

Schumacher Christopher

American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,

ASHRAE

Case study characterizing the framing factors for the exterior walls, ceilings, and floors of 180 wood-framed low-rise residential buildings across the United States.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Heat your Water with the Sun

2003

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL

Provides consumers with general information on solar water heating systems and how to select a contractor.

Home Builder's Guide to Construction in Wildfire Zones - Technical Fact Sheet Series, FEMA P-737

2008

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Report providing a collection of fact sheets describing guidance for constructing homes in wildfire zones.

Home Energy Guide - Techniques, Tactics, and Tips: Ice Dams

2003

Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Information Center

Minnesota Department of Commerce

Article describing the causes that form ice dams, as well as solutions for preventing future ice dams on roofs, focusing on air sealing to prevent hot air leakage.

How Energy Efficient are Modern Dishwashers?

2008

Hoak David,

Parker Danny S,

Hermelink Andreas H

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Report about measurements of three recent vintage dishwashers of very different efficiencies showing that while they are substantially more efficient than older dishwashers.

How Insulating Concrete Form vs. Conventional Construction of Exterior Walls Affects Whole Building Energy Consumption

2003

Petrie Thomas W,

et al.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy,

ACEEE

Report sumarizing results of an ICF investigation of side-by-side houses in Knoxville, Tennessee.

How to Make a Two-Pipe Steam Heating System Really Work

2003

Gifford Henry

American Boiler Manufacturers Association

Article describing how to use radiator inlet orifices optimize two-pipe steam heating systems.

Hurricane Mitigation Retrofits for Existing Site-Built Single Family Residential Structures, Florida Statutes Section 553.844

2008

Florida Building Code

FBC

Article presenting the 2008 update on the 2006 details on when required hurricane mitigation retrofits are required and the cost cap on required hurricane mitigation retrofits.

HVAC Sizing Methodology for Insulated Concrete Homes

2004

Gajda John,

Marceau Medgar,

VanGeem Martha

Construction Technology Laboratories Inc.,

CTL Group,

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,

HUD

A report describing the development of a methodology to properly size heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment for concrete homes in the US and Canada.

IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings under Construction

2008

Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association

SMACNA

Book providing project management guidance in maintaining satisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) of occupied buildings undergoing renovation or construction.