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Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 1951 - 2000 of 2447

Short-Term Test Results: Multifamily Home Energy Efficiency Retrofit

Author(s)
Lyons James
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report summarizing commissioning, short-term testing, and analysis that occurred before, during, and just after the actual retrofit of the Bay Ridge project.

Short-Term Test Results: Transitional Housing Energy Efficiency Retrofit in the Hot Humid Climate

Author(s)
Sutherland Karen,
Martin Eric
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report evaluating the renovation of a 5,800-ft2, multiuse facility located in St. Petersburg, on the west coast of central Florida, in the hot-humid climate.

Side-by-Side Testing of Water Heating Systems: Results from 2009 - 2010 Evaluation

Author(s)
Colon Carlos J,
Parker Danny S
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report comparing the performance of seven differing types of residential water heating systems in a side-by-side test configuration over a full year period.

Side-by-Side Testing of Water Heating Systems: Results from the 2010 - 2011 Evaluation

Author(s)
Colon Carlos J,
Parker Danny S
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document about testing of seven water heating systems in the Hot Water Systems laboratory in central Florida.

Sidewall Blowing Tips and Tricks

Author(s)
Wisconsin Focus on Energy
Organization(s)
Wisconsin Focus on Energy
Publication Date
High-density sidewall cavity insulation can be a major comfort and savings boost. It saves energy by slowing both conductive and convective losses, but only if the right things are done and done right. This always requires site-specific thinking.

Siding Cost.org

Author(s)
sidingcost.org
Organization(s)
sidingcost.org
Publication Date
Website providing the pros and cons of different siding materials for home building, including wood, vinyl, fiber cement, stucco, brick, metal, and stone.

Siding Installation in High-Wind Regions, FEMA Technical Fact Sheet No. 5.3

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing basic design and installation tips for various types of siding for high-wind regions, including vinyl, wood, and fiber cement and discusses sustainable design issues; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Sizing a New Water Heater

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
A website providing information on how to properly size a water heater based on tank size, volume, peak hour demand and other factors.

Sizing a New Water Heater

Author(s)
US Department of Energy
Organization(s)
U.S. DOE
Publication Date
Information sheet describing how to select a properly sized water heater based on household usage patterns, peak demand, and heater type—whether tankless, solar, or storage-based—to ensure efficiency and adequate hot water supply.

Sizing and Building a Battery Bank

Author(s)
Global Technology and Information Services
Organization(s)
SIL International,
GTIS
Publication Date
Web page describing the basics of how to size and build a battery bank for electricity storage.

Slab Happy, BSI-059

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
How hard can it be to insulate a flat sheet of concrete? I mean you only have three choices – on the top, on the bottom, or on the edge. OK, you might have some combination of the three as well.

Small House with Construction Cost of $100K, Total Energy Cost of $0.88 a Day

Author(s)
Christian Jeffrey E,
Childs Phillip W,
Pate Paige,
Atchley Jerald A
Organization(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Paper describing the development and testing of an affordable net-zero energy house in Lenoir City, Tennessee.

Small Wind Electric Systems

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
A website discussing the use of consumer-grade small electric wind systems such as turbines to lower energy costs.

Small Wind Site Assessment Guidelines

Author(s)
Olsen Tim,
Preus Robert
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Technical report providing site selection guidance for installation of small wind turbines.

Smart Control Logic for Mechanical Ventilation in Humid Environments

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing field validations of a smart ventilation system to assess its effectiveness in assisting low-load homes in humid environments by maintaining acceptable indoor humidity conditions while ensuring adequate ventilation and indoor air quality.

Smart Tools for Efficient HVAC Performance Campaign

Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Webpage describing the STEP campaign encouraging the use of smart diagnostic tools to reduce installation faults.

Smart Vapor Barrier - CertainTeed Dryright-vs-Kraft-Faced Insulation

Author(s)
Zhong Zhipeng
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report describing a comparison of hydrothermal performances of DryRightTM fiberglass batts and kraft-faced fiberglass batts in a south facing wall assembly with a moisture storage cladding material.

Smart Ventilation Controls Boost Energy Efficiency and Indoor Air Quality

Author(s)
Burkett Helen,
Martin Eric
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Fact sheet outlining the research behind how smart ventilation controls boost energy efficiency and indoor air quality, including research findings from seasonal temperature, timer, and real-time weather-based controls showing that all three systems showed potential for energy savings while...

Smart Water Heater Pilot

Author(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Organization(s)
NEEA
Publication Date
Website providing consumers with resources to find, select and install heat pump water heaters.

Smoke Control Systems

Author(s)
O'Connor Brian
Organization(s)
National Fire Protection Association,
NFPA
Publication Date
Article describing building smoke control systems.

Smoke-Free Housing

Author(s)
Tobacco Free NYS
Organization(s)
Tobacco Free NYS
Publication Date
Initiatives of smoke-free housing policies in New York State.

Smoke-Free Public Housing and Multifamily Properties

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Organization(s)
HUD
Publication Date
Toolkits for residents and owner/managers who live and work in federally assisted housing.

Snow Load Safety Guide, FEMA P-957

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Report informing building stakeholders about the risks a snow event poses to their buildings, preventative measures to take before the snow season, and actions that should be taken before, during, and after a snow event.

Snow Loads

Author(s)
Wilkerson
Organization(s)
Medeek Design
Publication Date
Webpage providing information about design snow loads and a free interactive ground snow load mapping tool for the contiguous United States, as well as snow load calculation methods.

Snow Loads: Guide to the Snow Load Provisions of ASCE 7-16

Author(s)
O'Rourke Michael
Organization(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers,
ASCE
Publication Date
Guide providing detailed explanations of the snow load provisions contained in Standard ASCE/SEI 7-16: Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.

Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) and Snow Course Data and Products

Author(s)
Natural Resources Conservation Service,
National Water and Climate Center,
Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program
Organization(s)
NRCS,
NWCC,
SSWSF
Publication Date
The website by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Water and Climate Center tracks snowpack sensor stations at multiple sites across the country providing an interactive US map of snow loads.

Solar Battery System Types - AC Vs DC Coupled

Author(s)
Svarc Jason
Organization(s)
Clean Energy Reviews,
CER
Publication Date
Website article describing the way solar panels are coupled to AC and DC battery energy storage systems.

Solar Domestic Water Heating - a Roof-Integrated Evaluation

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report providing a synopsis of a project to evaluate the performance of a roof-integrated solar water heating system.

Solar Pathfinder

Author(s)
Solar Pathfinder
Organization(s)
Solar Pathfinder
Publication Date
Tool determining the most economical and efficient photovoltaic array location and position.

Solar Photovoltaic - Specification, Checklist and Guide

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Guidelines to assist builders in designing and constructing homes equipped with a set of features that make the installation of solar energy systems after the completion of the home’s construction easier and less expensive.

Solar Radiation Data Manual for Buildings

Author(s)
Marion William,
Wilcox Stephen
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Document providing incident solar radiation data and window overhang sizing guidance for multiple locations across the U.S.

Solar Rating & Certification Corporation

Author(s)
Solar Rating & Certification Corporation
Organization(s)
SRCC
Publication Date
The Solar Rating & Certification Corporation is the leading solar heating and cooling product certification program in North America, certifying to the requirements of International and Uniform Codes and Standards

Solar Ready Buildings Planning Guide

Author(s)
Lisell Lars,
Tetreault Tim,
Watson Andrea
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report identifying the important aspects of building design and construction to enable installation of solar photovoltaic and heating systems at some time after the building is constructed.

Solar Water Heaters

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website describing how solar water heaters -- also called solar domestic hot water systems -- can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water for your home.

Solar Water Heating - Specification, Checklist and Guide

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
The RERH specifications and checklists take a builder and a project design team through the steps of assessing a home’s solar resource potential and defining the minimum structural and system components needed to support a solar energy system.

Solar Water Heating - Specification, Checklist and Guide

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Specifications to assist builders in designing and constructing homes equipped with a set of features that make the installation of solar energy systems after the completion of the home’s construction easier and less expensive.

Solar-Plus-Storage 101

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage describing the basics of solar plus storage operations on homes.

Solar-Reflective "Cool" Walls: Benefits, Technologies, and Implementation

Author(s)
Levinson Ronnen,
Ban-Weiss George,
Berdahl Paul,
Chen Sharon,
Destaillats Hugo,
Dumas Nathalie,
Gilbert Haley,
Goudey Howdy,
Houze de l'Aulnoit Sebastien,
Kleissl Jan,
Kurtz Benjamin,
Li Yun,
Long Yan,
Mohegh Arash,
Nazarian Negin,
Pizzicotti Matteo,
Rosado Pablo,
Russell Marion,
Slack Jonathan,
Tang Xiaochen,
Zhang Jiachen,
Zhang Weilong
Organization(s)
California Energy Commission,
CEC,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL,
University of Southern California,
USC,
University of California San Diego,
UC San Diego
Publication Date
California Energy Commission report presenting the concept of cool walls and providing guidelines for their building- and climate-appropriate use to conserve energy and reduce emissions.

Solmetric SunEye

Author(s)
Solmetric Inc.
Organization(s)
Solmetric Inc.
Publication Date
Handheld solar site analysis tool capturing whole-horizon images for a site and generating shading analysis reports.

Sonoma House: Monitoring of the First U.S. Passive House Retrofit

Author(s)
German Alea,
Weitzel B,
Backman Christine,
Hoeschele Marc,
Dakin Bill
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Research study presenting a unique opportunity to both identify and evaluate deep retrofit measures that are practical and potentially cost effective for the retrofit market, as well as review the cost effectiveness of the Passive House design approach for achieving energy savings in deep retrofits.