Library

Informational guide describing the design, installation, and maintenance best practices and technical considerations for integrated Heat Pump Water Heaters in single-family and multifamily new construction.

The Heat Pump Water Heater Installation Tool helps contractors, installers, and homeowners through the decision-making process for heat pump water heater (HPWH) product selection and installation, with a focus on overcoming installation barriers.

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

Online calculator for estimating payback of adding additional insulation to your house.

Website describing ways to prevent home house fires.

Website for consumers describing heat pump water heater technology and linking to retailers and installers.

Guide describing how to choose energy-efficient water heaters, including heat pump models, with tips on installation, rebates, and incentives for maximizing energy savings.

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

Article describing considerations for choosing a room-level air cleaner to improve indoor air quality.

Factsheet describing how triple-pane windows can outperform standard single and double-pane windows.

Factsheet describing how HEScore, a tool used for energy modeling, rates home energy performance based on physical assets and makes recommendations for improvement.

Factsheet describing the advantages and disadvantages of induction cooktops and the role they play in energy efficiency.

Factsheet describing re-siding retrofits containing exterior insulation and window upgrades aimed at improved energy savings and comfort.

Factsheet describing tips for building or renovating with a focus on disaster resistance.

Factsheet describing the performance criteria and key components of DOE Zero Energy Ready homes.

Factsheet describing the importance of building enclosures and their impact on energy efficiency.

Factsheet outlining the advantages of using heat pumps, which are an efficient way to heat and cool a home.

Factsheet outlining how window attachments like cellular shades, roller shades, storm windows with low-emissivity coatings, and solar screens are low-cost steps that can be implemented to keep homes cool in the summer.

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.

Webpage containing a library of ready-to-use social media posts, graphics and video links that promote life-saving information about how individuals and families can prepare for and survive during a hurricane.

Website detailing how to prepare for, stay safe during, and return home after hurricanes.

Webpage providing curriculum with links to presentations and problem sets for teaching an understanding of sizing cold climate heat pumps.

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.

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.

Webpage describing current and past versions of the International Mechanical Code (IMC), code establishing minimum regulations for mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, ducts, fireplaces, combustion and hydronic systems, using prescriptive and performance-related...

Webpage containing all editions of the International Residential Code (IRC), code for residential buildings that creates minimum regulations for one- and two-family dwellings of three stories or less, bringing together all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions...

Report about promoting energy efficiency for Hilton Head Island.

Research report discussing the reduction of HVAC energy consumption to meet U.S. greenhouse gas targets and DOE's energy-efficient building goals. It introduces iComfort, an IoT-based system for optimizing home comfort and energy savings.

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

Website describing best practices for minimizing exposure to lead while doing repairs and renovations in homes built in 1978 or earlier.

A website explaining why homeowners should install ENERGY STAR certified lightbulbs, which helps to save homeowners on utility bills and protect the environment.

Website describing Minnesota Power’s New Construction Energy Efficiency program that promotes building practices and technologies that enhance new residential construction.

Practical guide describing the management of moisture during a building's design, construction and maintenance.

Report on the use of vapor diffusion ports to reduce moisture issues with buried ductwork in unvented attics in hot-humid climates.

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.

This standard provides a benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards and has been adopted in all 50 states.

An article about double-hung windows.

Code providing minimum safety requirements for the design and installation of fuel gas piping systems in homes and other buildings.

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.

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

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.

Website from the EPA containing information for homeowners and renters about how to identify asbestos in the home and how to deal with it to reduce exposure to it.

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

Webpage describing the Quality Install Tool, an open-source web app designed to simplify, standardize, and expedite the creation of high-quality installation documentation for HVAC installations and efficiency upgrades.

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