BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Architectural shading can include large eaves, a porch roof, a well-designed pergola, or other building elements

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Locating windows on adjacent and opposite sides of the house will allow cross ventilation regardless of wind direction

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Sources of heat gain in a house include solar gains, infiltration, conduction through walls and roof, occupants, and internal equipment

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Sources of heat gain in a house include solar gains, infiltration, conduction through walls and roof, occupants, and internal equipment

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Whole-house fans or wind-driven cross ventilation can be used to draw air across thermal mass for a night flush strategy

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A screened-in porch will protect windows from rain, provide shade, and allow more airflow through windows than window screens would

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Comfort ventilation focuses on airflow over occupants; in this example of wind-driven cross ventilation, the air is directed through the main occupied areas of the bedroom

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Airflow can be directed across thermal mass in the ceiling, floor, or elsewhere inside the home through various window and louver configurations

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Even when wind is blowing parallel to a wall, an open casement window can create a zone of higher pressure near the window opening, driving airflow into the house

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Right: This house plan orients broad building surfaces away from the west and east, trees are used to shade the west and east, and large overhangs shade windows on the south wall

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Ceiling fans can be used to aid a night flush strategy by helping to cool down wall and floor surfaces more thoroughly at night, and by providing comfort ventilation during the day

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Porch roofs, pergolas, and large overhangs can effectively shade windows and doors facing south, southeast, southwest, or even due east or west for most of the day if the overhang is very deep and sufficiently wide.

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This house has key features to block heat such as such as tree shading for the west wall and roof, minimized west-facing windows, and a porch roof, floor, and wing walls creating deep architectural overhangs and fins to shade south-facing windows

Right - This house has key features to block heat such as such as tree shading for the west wall and roof, minimized west-facing windows, and a porch roof, floor, and wing walls creating deep architectural overhangs and fins to shade south-facing windows

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Energy 101: Geothermal Heat Pumps

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Video from DOE on geothermal heat pumps and their use in hot and cold climates for heating and cooling needs.

Embodied Carbon 101

Reference

Webpage describing embodied carbon through definition, significance to climate, and importance to policymaking.

Excessive Heat Events Guidebook

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Guidebook meant to provide public officials with information on excessive heat event.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

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Interactive map maintained by the USDA showing plant hardiness zones throughout the U.S.

Warning Signs and Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness

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Fact sheet describing how to identify heat-related illness and what actions to take.

Home Cooling Systems

Reference

Website providing information on low-energy and standard cooling systems, with a focus on saving energy.

How to Create a Naturally Cool Building

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

Energy Auditor - Single Family 2.0: Attic Ventilation

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Powerpoint on attic ventilation developed as training material for the Weatherization Assistance Program.

Attic Venting, Attic Moisture, and Ice Dams

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Article by the Canadian Government on attic ventilation and considerations for moisture and ice dams.

Be Prepared For Extreme Heat, FEMA V-1004

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Information sheet from FEMA on preparation for extreme heat, including measures for keeping homes cool.

Example of a cool roof, painted white to reflect solar heat gain.

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Keep Your Cool in Hot Weather

Reference

Web page describing how to identify heat-related illness and how to prevent it.

Studies in the Assessment of Vegetation Impact in the Urban Context

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Paper describing case studies on urban vegetation and greenways and their impacts on city climate and building performance.

High-Efficiency Window Air Conditioners

Reference

Factsheet profiling a simple modification that can be made to window air-conditioners to improve their energy efficiency.

Proper building orientation for minimal heat gain in the northern hemisphere.

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Calculate projection factor (PF) by dividing overhang (A) by length of window (B).

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Temperatures in deep undisturbed soil at a given location are approximately equal to the annual average air temperature for that location

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