Library

ENERGY STAR article on finding a refrigerator or freezer recycling program.

Guidelines from the University of California Cooperative Extension on how fires spread, how homes typically burn, and what homeowners can do to prepare their homes for wildfire season.

Articles, research, case studies, and more outlining considerations for planning and installation of a fire-protection system.

Fact sheet describing research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety into how burning embers can ignite softwood decks like redwood and cedar and how to minimize the likelihood these decks will be ignited by embers.

A webpage discussing how water heater expansion tanks operate and how to repair them.

Calculator helping users determine cost savings of refrigerator replacement.

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

Factsheet describing garage door pressure rating requirements in high wind– prone areas.

A guideline containing fire sprinkler insulation requirements from the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department.

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

Webpage describing the safety hazards associated with natural gas and tips on how to avoid these hazards by a step process of turning off natural gas service to a home and restoring service afterwards.

Brochure for natural gas utility customers describing seismic valves and excess flow valves for homes.

Webpage describing when and how to safely turn off the natural gas to the home during an emergency.

Webpage with certification requirements for excess flow and earthquake valves from California's Division of the State Architect (DSA).

Article describing a 9-step process to getting rid of rats and mice, and some preventative actions to take.

A article about the best practice method of installing fiber cement siding, to install flashing at the butt joints of the siding boards, rather than face caulking the butt joints afterwards.

Webpage providing maps and information to assess the particular hazards and risks for an area.

A ENERGY STAR guide on efficient heating, ventilation and cooling systems in residential homes.

A website detailing initiatives on the east coast for the installation and use of high efficiency products.

A comprehensive list of all ENERGY STAR home performance programs.

Article from Washington Post on passive cooling measures for homes during extreme heat.

Factsheet describing defensible space and wildfire risk reduction steps that homeowners can take to make their homes safer during a wildfire.

Webpage describing how to locate and manually shut off natural gas service at the meter.

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.

Website providing comparison charts and reviews of hybrid inverters for solar power systems.

Report presenting system design packages for cold and mixed-humid climates.

ICC-ES Evaluation Report reviewing proprietary steel shear wall panels developed by Simpson Strong-Tie Company to resist vertical and lateral loads in walls resulting from wind or earthquakes.

Article describing the effect metal roofs have on thermal performance in hot-humid climates.

Webpage detailing how to purchase and install the correct shut-off valve for homes in California, including differences between earthquake and excess flow valves and how to install each.

Site showing flame spread ratings and definitions for common building materials.

This document covers how broken windows can allow wind and rain inside the house and even lead to roof failure.

Report describing the performance, economics, space heating impacts, and user satisfaction of heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) in the upper Midwest, based on a field study and survey of participants in the MECA HPWH incentive program.

Report showing installers how to attach ducts, pipes, and associated equipment to buildings to minimize earthquake damage.

A guide for users and energy raters of insulated siding as home insulation.

Fact sheet describing the newly developed Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System (VICS) that reduces space requirements and eliminates costly ductwork for separate heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, all while enhancing performance, addressing the demand for energy-efficient homes, and...

List of acceptance criteria for the ICC.

Report that describes BSC's Houses That Work II (HTWII) climate-specific technical resource, beginning with an overall HTWII introduction and four sections explaining the four most important hygro-thermal climate regions: Hot-Humid, Mixed-Humid, Cold, and Hot-Dry/Mixed-Dry.

Webpage describing benefits of adding battery storage to homes and an estimation tool.

Blog article citing the risks and downsides of attic ventilation fans from a building science perspective.

Web page describing how to identify heat-related illness and how to prevent it.

Article from University of Arizona on keeping homes cool during extreme heat, both personal and system changes.

Article providing guidance for installing manufactured stone veneer, including information on rainscreens.

Website providing information about Knauf Insulation.

Guide describing landscaping tips for healthy and regionally-based gardens, including maintenance, mulching, water efficiency, and plant resources.

Website describing the EPA Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule that establishes requirements to reduce lead exposure for firms and individuals performing renovations that might disturb painted surfaces in buildings and homes built pre 1978 that might be occupied by children.

A website explaining the measurement of light bulbs, measurable in lumens, & brightness levels that ENERGY STAR products produce.

A website explaining the basics of LED lightning, their lifespan, their use in general lighting applications, the amount of heat produced, and why you should choose ENERGY STAR certified LED products for your home.

A fact sheet providing information on ENERGY STAR certified LED bulbs & how to find the right one to fit your lighting fixture.

A website exploring the use of lighting controls products like dimmers, motion sensors and timers to save energy in the home.

A website explaining basic lighting principles and terms & how they are applied to the home.