Library

Research report anayzing the results of a large retrofit project, turining an old school into near zero energy consumption apartments in Greenfield MA.

Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing 'cool roofs' and their usage for passive home cooling.

DOE Energy Saver webpage summarizing the use of whole-house fans for cooling.

Report exploring alternative methods to find long-term solutions to energy loss in 1 ½-story homes to save energy, improve comfort, prevent frost buildup on the underside of the roof deck, and reduce the risk of ice dam formation/reformation.

This case study describes costs associated with the External Thermal and Moisture Management System developed by the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership for retrofitting roofs with rigid foam over the roof deck, especially on one and a half-story homes.

Research study evaluating energy savings and cost effectiveness of installing low-emissivity (low-e) storm windows over existing windows in residential homes in all climate zones.

Report covering exterior energy retrofits of masonry buildings.

Report providing guidance on designing buildings to be flood resistant.

Technical report describing algorithms that use communicating thermostat heating data and that were developed to optimize customer adoption of energy conservation measures, enhancing the identification of retrofit opportunities, estimating post-retrofit energy savings, and enabling home-specific...

Website discusses differences between CFL and LED bulbs.

Website providing lists of WaterSense-qualified products for home plumbing and irrigation equipment that meet the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense program.

Report outlining the issues with using existing ducts with a new low-load HVAC system, which reduces throw at supply registers causing decreased mixing of supply and room air, leading to potential thermal comfort complaints.

Website listing implementation timelines and links to various versions of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home national program requirements.

Report identifying two barriers that limit the ability of builders to explore opportunities for higher levels of energy efficiency in housing: the use of duct system materials that inherently achieve airtightness and are right-sized for low-load houses, and, the ability to air seal fire separation...

Webpage providing details of an experimental earth tube installation at the Clean Energy Exhibition in Georgia.

Poster describing earthquake safety tips and protection measures to take at home.

Webpage providing earthquake safety tips including proactive home structure and utility action items.

Factsheet describing methods for securing HVAC units to avoid damage during an earthquake.

Article describing quality of life and economic benefit from trees.

Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing using Earth-Sheltered home building techniques in hot climate zones.

A website with resources for emergency preparedness including videos, guides, and webinars.

This study evaluates the energy, humidity and indoor air quality implications of residential ventilation cooling in all US IECC climate zones.

Web page providing an overview of window coverings such as blinds, shades, shutters, films, and storm windows.

Research study describing experiments run in an unoccupied 1600 square foot house to evaluate the delivered performance as well as the relative performance of a SEER 21 variable capacity heat pump versus a SEER 13 heat pump.

This publication provides a set of best practices for improving indoor air quality in conjunction with energy upgrade work in homes.

ENERGY STAR website providing information about programs, products and energy efficiency information.

Website providing consumer information about ceiling fans, including specifications and buying guidance.

Program criteria for central air conditioner and heat pump equipment.

ENERGY STAR specifications for residential window, door and skylights, Version 6, effective January 1, 2015.

Archived 2014 EPA newsroom release describing new EnergyStar standards for clothes dryers.

Factsheet describing steps builders should take to reduce erosion and control sediment on construction sites during home construction.

Homebuilding’s simple payback estimator for an insulation upgrade – the type and amount of insulation, square footage of the area, recent utility bill, and a quote from insulation contractor.

Information sheet briefly summarizing double stud wall construction including the advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Information sheet briefly summarizing double stud with spray foam wall construction including the advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Information sheet that summarizes Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction including advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Information sheet briefly summarizing truss wall construction including the advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Report analyzing results in crawlspace retrofits in multifamily buildings.

Report describing a research study into the performance of Low-E storm windows installed in two test homes at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state.

Study investigating homeowner measure package choices in the Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program compared to cost-optimal choices determined through Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software.

Case study on exhaust ventilation and corresponding outdoor air intake strategies implemented in high-performance new-construction multifamily buildings.

Report detailing the effects of replacing PSC motors with more efficient, variable-speed motors.

In this report, BSC seeks to research and report on the field monitoring of the performance of in-situ supplemental dehumidification systems in low-energy, high performance, homes in a hot-humid climate.

DOE-sponsored report describing a study investigating condensation buildup on windows when using insulating shades.

Report describing the performance, cost, and carbon impacts of unitary heat pump water heaters with load-shifting controls in a shared configuration for a multi-family project, highlighting significant savings in energy usage, CO2 emissions, and utility costs.

Technical report describing the evaluation of four different ventilation strategies for providing make-up air in high-performance, new construction multifamily buildings in the Northeast, emphasizing the challenges posed by increasing airtightness standards and the variability of system performance...

Report describing research that helps inform best practices for air-sealing multifamily buildings in the Northeast.

A webpage by the DOE on tips for saving energy with an evaporative cooler.

Article describing RESNET guidance on evaporative coolers.

Article describing how evaporative coolers work and how to maintain them.

Image of design wet bulb temperatures in the U.S. and where evaporative cooling is most appropriate.