Library

Report outlining how Smart ventilation controls (SVC) balance energy consumption, comfort, and IAQ by optimizing mechanical ventilation operation to reduce the heating and/or cooling loads, improve management of indoor moisture, and maintain IAQ equivalence according to ASHRAE 62.2.

A guide to construction of wildfire resistant homes and communities.

Five step plan from the Tahoe Fire & Fuels team outlining how to create an effective defensible space for wildfire protection. Recommendations include siting for homes on slopes.

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

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

Checklist highlighting the requirement for metal structural connections and materials fasteners used to retrofit or construct FORTIFIED buildings less than 3,000 ft from saltwater to be suitably protected from corrosion.

Checklist describing requirements for roof sheathing along the gable end truss or rafter to achive a FORTIFIED Roof, including New Roof designations and exceptions.

Web article discussing the primary approaches to waterproofing concrete foundations.

Report analyzing the effect of global climate change on national interests, and providing climate predictions.

Article describing the danger of furniture tip-overs

Guide describing retrofit procedures for gable end roofs.

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

Guide describing how and where to install flashings in order to weatherproof a roof.

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.

Guide by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships on how to size heat pumps in a cold climate.

Report about indoor air quality related to indoor mold growth.

Report describing the advantages and best practices for installing heat pump water heaters (HPWH), highlighting their improved energy efficiency, reliability, and critical considerations such as condensate management, proper sizing, and optimal installation location to enhance performance and...

Webpage describing federal regulation related to excess flow valves on residential natural gas lines.

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

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

Website with articles on home ventilation and indoor air quality.

Article from The Earthbound Report on passive cooling design strategies for homes located in hot climates.

Report by the FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team on damages due to Hurricane Irma which struck Florida in September 2017, and recommendations for construction for future disaster resistance and preparedness.

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.

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

Article describing how air speed affects thermal comfort and how fans can provide energy savings.

Guide detailing best practices on how to build wall assemblies with absorptive claddings such as brick, stone that drain and dry well.

Website providing the technical specifications and related documents for home builders, subcontractors, architects, and other housing professionals interested in certifying a home to the EPA's Indoor airPLUS program requirements.

Article describing the correct installation of clothes dryer exhaust ducts.

Article describing the second step of a three-step process for the installation a tubular skylight, using peel-and-stick flashing tape instead of roof cement, and integrating the roof underlayment with the flashing.

Report about promoting energy efficiency for Hilton Head Island.

Webpage describing how to conserve heat or find alternative heat sources during a power outage to keep one room warm.

2017 version of a standard covering requirements for single- and dual-pane windows, glazed side-hinged door systems, sliding doors, tubular daylighting devices, and unit skylights developed jointly by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), the Canadian Standards Association...

A presentation describing the standards regarding who is responsible for what part of the design to ensure the roof truss is properly designed and braced.

The next generation of building enclosures is a key step toward achieving high-performance goals through decreasing energy load demand and enabling advanced space-conditioning systems. Yet the adoption of high-R enclosures and particularly high-R walls has been a slow-growing trend because...

Conference paper making the case that moving ducts to conditioned space saves energy, is practical for production builders (when accompanied by careful pre-planning), and creates significant andmarketable energy savings for homebuyers.

Report discussing development of scopes of work and quality management for builders in mixed-humid climates.

An NFPA standards document that provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of tanks and accessory equipment that supply water for private fire protection.

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

A document providing guidance on integrating a PV array with a roof system.

Report providing guidance on protecting foundation walls and enclosures from flood damage.

A fact sheet educating the public on the proper operation of chainsaws to reduce the risk of injury from use.

Report briefly reviewing past research on the effects of occupant behavior on residential energy use and then covering a two year pilot evaluation of a low cost residential energy feedback system installed in twenty case study homes in Florida.

Blog article describing considerations for how to use trees for shading to reduce cooling energy demand.

Table of criteria for pool pumps to achieve ENERGY STAR certification.

Document outlining the approach to quality assurance in the construction process as recommended by Building Science Corporation for new residential construction.

Article describing how structural screws can be used to provide resistance to wind uplift in buildings.

Flyer describing reasons and best practices for raising electrical systems above flood-levels.

Guide describing ways builders can block off entry points and otherwise make homes inhospitable to all manner of pests.

Guidance document describing urban heat islands, what they are, how they form, why we care, and including some strategies to reduce them.