Library

Fact sheet describing what builders need to know about designing a structure for flood loads.

Report on a simplified test procedure for combustion safety that is easier to implement and should produce fewer false positives than the previous procedure.

An article illustrating common errors found in fiber cement siding installations. Many of these errors and poor flashing examples apply to siding materials beyond fiber cement siding.

Manual assisting architects, engineers, owners and roofing contractors for designing, specifying and installing roof tiles in areas of snow and ice.

Installation manual outlining proper installation practices, industry standards and the code requirements of roofing tiles.

Information sheet discussing the properties and benefits of insulating concrete forms.

Article describing construction best practices to help reduce the wind-induced pressure loads on a low-rise building during a hurricane.

Brochure helping homeowners identify hazards, work with contractors to remove the hazards, help ensure the work is done properly, and educate when they can return safely to the home.

Article describing the difference between conditioned or unvented attics and unconditioned or vented attics.

Report on experiments comparing the cooling and heating seasonal and peak demand performance of different variable-capacity air conditioning and heat pump units.

Report describing the analytical study of renewable energy retrofits to homes built before 1980 and whether it is cost efficient or not.

Research study examining the opportunities for cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits in residential archetypes constructed before 1980 (Pre-Code) in 14 U.S. cities.

Report describing costs associated with non-residential electric vehicle charging, including multifamily properties.

Guidance document on deep energy retrofits.

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Design and Construction Process chapter provides detailed guidance for each process phase: pre-planning, planning, construction, test-out and post-occupancy.

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Lessons Learned chapter focuses on successful deep energy retrofit projects throughout the U.S.

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Occupant Behavior chapter discusses how to assess homeowner behavior patterns and use these patterns to enhance overall energy savings.

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Over Time, Phased Guidance chapter presents a phased approach to deep energy retrofits.

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Reducing costs and Increasing Cost-Effectiveness chapter provides suggestions for controlling deep retrofit costs, including both 'do's' and 'don'ts'.

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Source Energy and Carbon Decisions chapter helps users carefully assess the impacts of switching from gas to electricity for heating end-uses, using source energy and/or carbon emissions...

Report identifying business models for the remodeling industry that foster remodelers adoption of energy efficiency services.

Report providing information on ways to incentivize funding of hazard mitigation programs.

Online database with efficiency information about residential HVAC systems and commercial refrigeration equipment.

Article describing the difference between swales and hugels (berms used to create soil from woody debris).

Designer checklist covering hazards involving ground and surface water, rain and water vapor, HVAC and plumbing, sunlight, insects, decay, and natural hazards, and builder checklist covering all disaster resistance, sorted by building component.

Report on how airtighness changes as houses age.

Case study describing foundation wall moisture studies at a research facility in Minnesota run by Building America team NorthernSTAR.

Article describing earthship homes.

Article presenting a numerical study of wind pressure on the low-rise hip-roof building by varying the roof pitch using computational fluid dynamics computer modeling and wind tunnel testing of hip roofs with different roof pitches: 15°, 20°, 30° and 40°.

Research study analyzing the effects a nonlinear enthalpy profile has on thermal performance and expected energy benefits for PCM-enhanced insulation.

Document providing descriptions of the many insulation options available to homeowners, along with guidance on where, when, and how to install insulation throughout your house.

Online reference containing general information about geothermal heat pumps.

Technical report evaluating the energy savings potential of radiative cooling technologies, particularly photonic 'selective emittance' materials.

Comprehensive design guide describing the benefits and details of retrofit methods for buildings and equipment in flood-prone areas. Estimated costs are outdated due to publication date.

Report describing the research gap in the connection between resilience and energy efficiency.

Broschure detailing water control strategies for building openings (e.g., vents and drainpipes).

Report summarizing CARB's analysis of Boulder, Colorado's SmartRegs ordinance in the existing home market.

Report describing the methods and results of a field evaluation of the energy performance of cellular shade window coverings.

Report describing a research study of the performance of interior low-E storm windows in two test houses at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA.

Document reviewing four cold-climate northern Illinois energy efficiency retrofit programs to identify practices, tools, and approaches to streamline and reduce costs of comprehensive retrofits, and to improve the consistency of audit and retrofit delivery practices across different programs.

Expert meeting identifying installation practices that provide the best installed efficiency for residential gas furnaces, explain how AFUE and field efficiency can differ, and investigate the impact of installation practices on the efficiency and long-term durability of the furnace.

Report about the Advanced Envelope Research effort will provide factory homebuilders with urgently-needed, cost effective methods for meeting emerging energy code requirements.

Expert Meeting about interior insulation retrofit of mass masonry wall assemblies held on July 30, 2011.

Expert meeting describing meeting details for key innovations for adding energy efficiency upgrades to maintenance projects.

Expert meeting describing meeting details for recommendations for applying water heaters in combination space and domestic water heating systems.

Report on high-R wall design called extended plate and beam that uses foam sheathing insulation with wall framing.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is interested in finding cost-effective solutions for deep energy retrofits (DERs) related to exterior wall insulation in a cold climate, with targets of 50% peak load reduction and 50% space conditioning energy savings.

Study characterizing how foundation heat exchangers (FHXs) used in residential ground source heat pump systems represent a potential cost savings due to their lesser first cost over other types of heat exchangers.

Newsletter reviewing federal disaster policy, the research basis for resilience, and three models of building resilient communities.

Guide discussing the siting of residential and community safe rooms at appropriate elevations and locations.