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Explore this extensive library of building science guidance including research reports from DOE’s Building America program as well as hundreds of other articles, fact sheets, webpages, and reference documents related to constructing and renovating homes.

Showing 1 - 50 of 135 results:

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Hot-Dry and Mixed-Dry Climates, Volume 9

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Report providing builders in the hot-dry and mixed-dry climates with guidance for building homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

ACCA Manual T - Air Distribution Basics

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
·
Organization(s)
ACCA
Description
Standard providing guidance on how to select, size, and locate the supply air diffusers, grilles and registers, and the return grilles.

An Overview of Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership (BAIHP) Activities in Hot-Humid Climates

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Chandra Subrato,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
University of Central Florida,
UCF
Description
Report summarizing systems research activities for new housing in hot-humid climates, including NightCool, interior duct systems in manufactured housing, ventilation and dehumidification, plug load reduction and solar and conventional hot water.

Are Your Multi-Family Buildings Accessible?

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Stratton Petter A
·
Organization(s)
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Description
Document highlighting federal accessibility laws which may apply to a housing development, and common mistakes made in the field which, if avoided, will help to ensure compliance.

Basement Insulation, Info 511

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
·
Organization(s)
BSC
Description
Information sheet describing techniques for insulating basements.

Benefits of Demand-Controlled Pumping

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Acker Larry,
Klein Gary
·
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine,
Taco Comfort
Description
Article describing how demand plumbing systems send cold water back to the water heater until hot water arrives at the sink, shower or other fixture where it is needed.

Building America Best Practices Series: Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in the Marine Climate, Volume 5

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
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 marine climate.

Building America Performance Analysis Procedures for Existing Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Hendron Robert
·
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Description
Report provides a proposed set of guidelines for estimating the energy savings achieved by a package of retrofits or an extensive rehabilitation of an existing home.

Building America Residential System Research Results - Achieving 30% Whole House Energy Savings Level in Marine Climates, January 2006 - December 2006

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
BAIHP,
BIRA,
BSC,
CARB,
DEG,
IBACOS,
NAHBRC,
NREL,
IBCS
Description
Report summarizing research results for the 30% energy savings level and demonstrates that lead builders can successfully provide 30% homes in the Marine Climate Region on a cost-neutral basis.

Building America Residential System Research Results: Achieving 30% Whole House Energy Savings Level in Hot-Dry and Mixed-Dry Climates

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Building Industry Research Alliance,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
BIRA,
BSC,
CARB,
DEG,
FSEC,
IBACOS,
NAHBRC,
NREL
Description
Report summarizing research results for the 30% energy savings level and demonstrates that lead builders can successfully provide 30% homes in the Hot-Dry / Mixed-Dry Climate Region on a cost-neutral basis.

Building America System Research Results - Innovations for High Performance Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
·
Organization(s)
NREL
Description
Report providing a summary of key lessons learned from the first ten years of the Building America program and also included a summary of the future challenges that must be met to reach the programs long term performance goals.

Comparison of the ENERGYGAUGE USA and BEopt Building Energy Simulation Programs

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Parker Danny S,
Cummings Jamie E
·
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Description
Two hourly energy simulation software, BEopt and Energy Gauge USA, were compared to ensure accuracy and evaluate agreement on the impact of various energy efficiency improvements.

Cost, Design, and Performance of Solar Hot Water in Cold-Climate Homes

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Vijayakumar Gayathri
·
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Description
Report describing the monitored long-term performance of two solar domestic water heating systems in northern climates.

Crawlspace Insulation

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Southface Energy Institute,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
ORNL,
SEI,
DOE
Description
Information sheet about crawlspace insulation, including installation details.

Double Wall: Staggered or In-Line Studs?

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
Steven Winter Associates
·
Organization(s)
CARB,
SWA
Description
Information sheet providing information about investigating the thermal effect of staggering the inner and outer wall studs on double walls in new construction.

Energy Flow Across Enclosures, BSI-028

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Description
Discussion of structural thermal resistance.

Erosion Control Treatment Selection Guide

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
·
Organization(s)
USDA,
USDA Forest Service
Description
A publication developed by the U.S. Forest Service for its employees and other federal agency staff describing erosion control methods.

ETW: Building Profile: New - Albuquerque New Mexico

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
·
Organization(s)
BSC
Description
Information sheet with details on a building enclosure designed for Albuquerque, NM, as an example for building enclosures built for hot-dry and mixed-dry climates.

Excessive Heat Events Guidebook

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
·
Organization(s)
EPA
Description
Guidebook meant to provide public officials with information on excessive heat event.

Field Test of Room-to-Room Uniformity of Ventilation Air Distribution in Two New Houses, RR-0602

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
Hendron Robert,
et al.
·
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Mountain Energy Partnership
Description
Report about field testing that characterizes the uniformity of room-to-room ventilation air distribution under various operating conditions by examining multi-zone tracer gas decay curves and calculating local age-of-air.

Fire Network: Windows Vulnerabilities

Publication Date
·
Author(s)
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
·
Organization(s)
UCANR,
University of California Cooperative Extension
Description
A report showing what happens when windows break as a result of temperature differences between the inside and outside of the home, as well as code standards for the State of California regarding window exposure to wildfires.