Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 51 - 100 of 150 results:

Extreme Heat

2011

Ready.gov

Ready.gov,

U.S. Department of Homeland Security,

USDHS

Webpage from Ready.gov explaining what qualifies as 'extreme heat', how to be safe during an extreme heat event, and how to prepare for extreme heat in homes

FEMA Community Preparedness: Simple Activities for Everyone - Facilitator Guide

2011

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Guide providing homeowners tips on how to secure bookcases and other heavy furniture with brackets and child-proof drawer and cabinet locks.

Field Monitoring Protocol: Mini-Split Heat Pumps

2011

Christensen Dane,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Mountain Energy Partnership,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Information sheet with an analysis of mini split heat pump systems.

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

2006

Hendron Robert,

et al.

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Mountain Energy Partnership

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.

Field Test Protocol: Standard Internal Load Generation for Unoccupied Test Homes

2011

Christensen Dane,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Mountain Energy Partnership,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report describing a simple and general way to generate House Simulation Protocol (HSP)-consistent internal sensible and latent loads in unoccupied homes.

Flood and Hurricane Resistant Buildings, BSD-111

2006

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Guide from Building Science Corporation on how to construct a flood and hurricane resistant home.

Fold-Form

2006

Owens Corning Insulation

Information sheet with manufacturer specifications about insulated concrete forms.

Food and Water in an Emergency, FEMA 477

2006

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA,

American Red Cross

A fact sheet on how to prepare for a natural disaster by storing food and water through an emergency food supply.

Foundation Heat Exchanger Model and Design Tool Development and Validation

2011

Spitler Jeffrey D,

et al.

Oklahoma State University,

OSU,

De Montfort University,

DMU,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Report describing a project aimed at developing validated models and design tools for foundation heat exchangers.

Foundation Heat Exchangers for Residential Ground Source Heat Pump Systems - Numerical Modeling and Experimental Validation

2011

Xing Lu,

et al.

Oklahoma State University,

OSU,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Article describing a numerical model that can be used to size foundation heat exchanger (FHX) systems.

Generator

2011

Guthrie County REC

Webpage from Guthrie County REC with video and image links illustrating how to safely use backup generation during power outages.

Georgia Pulls the Attic-Ventilator Plug (Sort of)

2011

Defendorf Richard

Green Building Advisor

Article describing issues with attic ventilation fans and why the state of Georgia residential code does not allow plug-in attic ventilation fans.

Ground-Source Variable Refrigerant Flow Heat Pumps: A Solution for Affordable Housing, Assisted Living, Hotels and Dorms

2011

Karr Marcia

Washington State University Extension Energy Program

Factsheet describing the uses and benefits of ground-source heat pumps for affordable housing, assisted living, dorms and hotels.

Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing, Restraining and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses

2006

Building Component Safety Information

BCSI,

Wood Truss Council of America,

WTCA,

Truss Plate Institute,

TPI

IRC guide referencing wood truss bracing best practices and requirements.

Guidelines for Installing Flexible Duct

2011

ATCO Rubber Products Inc.,

Air Duct Council

ADC

Presentation about proper installation of flexible ducts.

Header Hangers in Bearing Walls, Code Notes Article 126

2011

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Document providing supplemental information for code enforcement professionals about header hangers in bearing walls.

Healthy Homes Manual : Smoke-free Policies in Multiunit Housing

2011

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC,

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services,

National Center for Environmental Health

Heat Pumps and Hydronics - A Great Team for High Performance Homes

2011

Butler David

Energy Vanguard

Article discussing the advantages of using heat pumps and/or hydronic forced air heat instead of furnaces in high-performance homes.

Homebuilders' Guide to Earthquake Resistant Design and Construction, FEMA 232

2006

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Report presenting seismic design and construction guidance for one- and two-family houses for homebuilders, knowledgeable homeowners, and other non-engineers.

How to Build a Zero Electric Utility Cost House

2006

Christian Jeffrey E

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy,

ACEEE

Report presenting construction methods, building products, appliances and equipment of four single-family houses that achieve dramatic energy reductions and approach “net zero energy” use.

How to Build an Insulated Cathedral Ceiling

2011

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor

Information sheet presenting the correct methods for building an insulated cathedral ceiling.

How to Install Cellulose Insulation

2011

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Information sheet presenting techniques for installing cellulose insulation.

Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast: Mitigation Assessment Team Report, Building Performance Observations Recommendations and Technical Guidance, FEMA 549

2006

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Guide discussing observations, recommendations, and technical guidance as a result of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Mitigation Retrofits for Existing Site-Built Single-Family Residential Structures

2006

Florida Building Code

Code describing the requirements for existing site-built single-family homes to receive roof-to-wall retrofits when re-roofing.

HVAC A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners, Volume 14

2011

Gilbride Theresa L,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report providing information about energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) equipment options to help homeowners cut their energy use, reduce their carbon footprint, and increase their homes comfort, health, and safety.

HVAC in Multifamily Buildings

2006

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation

Paper providing a comprehensive overview of HVAC system design considerations and challenges specific to multifamily residential buildings, focusing on optimizing performance and addressing common issues.

HVAC System Pressure Relief

2006

Raymer Paul H,

Moyer Neil

Tamarack Technologies,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Correcting pressure imbalances in your HVAC system can result in a healthier, more efficient home.

Ice Dams, BSD-135

2006

Straube John

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article outlining the casuses and solutions for ice dam problems.

Improving Central Exhaust Systems for Multifamily Buildings

2011

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

NYSERDA

Report documenting the results of a NYSERDA-funded research project to demonstrate the costs and benefits of a best practice systems approach to improving exhaust ventilation system performance in five multifamily buildings in New York State.

Increasing the Durability of Building Constructions, BSD-144

2006

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSD

Report discussing the importance of durability and energy efficiency in building construction.

Indoor Airflow – Perfect Balance vs. Door Undercut

2011

Guertin Mike

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

Central return designs require an open pathway between the room and the heart of the house where the return grill is located.

Insulated Siding Provides Continuous Insulation

2011

Dobson Matt

Home Energy Magazine

Article describing how insulated siding can save homeowners energy by providing continuous exterior insulation.

Just Right and Airtight, BSI-053

2011

Lstiburek Joseph W

BSC,

Building Science Corporation

Article describing air leakage in buildings.

Kick the Can! No Recessed Lights in the Building Envelope

2011

Bailes Allison

Energy Vanguard

Article discussing the downside to recessed can lights.

Laboratory Performance Evaluation of Residential Integrated Heat Pump Water Heaters

2011

Sparn Bethany,

Hudon Kate,

Christensen Dane

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report presenting lab evaluation of five heat pump water heaters available in the US market today.

Laboratory Test Report for Fujitsu 12RLS and Mitsubishi FE12NA Mini-Split Heat Pumps

2011

Winkler Jon

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report proposing mini-split heat pumps as a new retrofit option to replace resistance heating in the Pacific Northwest.

Laboratory Test Report for Six ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers

2011

Winkler Jon,

Christensen Dane,

Tomerlin Jeff

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report documenting the measured performance of six residential ENERGY STAR vapor compression dehumidifiers.

Local Exhaust and Whole House Ventilation Strategies

2011

Rudd Armin

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report on whole-house and spot ventilation strategies for improved indoor air quality.

Measure Guideline: Sealing and Insulating Ducts in Existing Homes

2011

Aldrich Robb,

Puttagunta Srikanth

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA

Report describing the sealing and insulating of HVAC duct systems in existing homes.

Measure Guideline: Summary of Interior Ducts in New Construction, Including an Efficient, Affordable Method to Install Fur-Down Interior Ducts

2011

Beal David,

et al.

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,

BA-PIRC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Document illustrating guidelines for efficient installation of interior duct systems in new housing.

Measure Guideline: Water Management at Tub and Shower Assemblies

2011

Dickson Bruce

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report covering the fundamental waterproofing strategies for tub and shower assemblies.

Method for Determining Optimal Residential Energy Efficiency Packages

2011

Polly Benjamin,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report describing an analysis method for determining optimal residential energy efficiency retrofit packages and applies the analysis method to a 1960s-era home in eight U.S. cities.

Modeling and Test-and-Rate Methods for Innovative Thermosiphon Solar Water Heaters

2006

Burch Jay,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

University of Colorado,

CU,

University of Colorado-Boulder,

CU Boulder

This paper discusses model validation using data from three thermosiphon systems.

National Flood Insurance Program Terminology Index

2011

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Glossary of terms used by the National Flood Insurance Program

Night Ventilation Cooling Compliance Option

2011

California Statewide Utility Codes and Standards Program

California Public Utilities Commission,

CPUC

Document describing recommended modeling rules, potential compliance credits, and eligibility criteria for residential night ventilation cooling systems for California’s Title 24 energy efficiency standards.

No Headers in Nonbearing Walls - Code Notes, Article 125

2011

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Document providing supplemental information for code enforcement professionals about headers in nonbearing walls.

Performance Evaluation and Opportunity Assessment for St. Bernard Project

2011

Dickson Bruce

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report providing information about improving the energy efficiency and long-term durability of the buildings that are being reconstructed post Katrina in New Orleans.

Performance of Combination Hydronic Systems

2011

Butcher Thomas

American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,

ASHRAE

Article investigating how a linear input/output relationship can be used as a simple model of the performance of a combination hydronic heating system over heating only, DHW only, and combined loads.

Preventing Ice Dams

2011

Fisette Paul

UMass Amherst Department of Environmental Conservation

Article describing how ice dams form on residential roofs, how they damage homes, and solutions to prevent future dams.

Providing a Thermal Break in Gut Rehabs

2006

Steven Winter Associates,

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings

CARB,

SWA

Information sheet about how to reduce thermal bridging in walls.