BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Passive Solar Design

Reference

Article from Williams College on the key elements of passive solar design for homes.

Passive Cooling

Reference

Article from Smarter Homes NZ on home building techniques that incorporate passive cooling.

Passive Design

Reference

Website providing guidance on passive heating, cooling, and lighting methods.

Plant for the Sun!

Reference

Blog article describing considerations for how to use trees for shading to reduce cooling energy demand.

Economics of Urban Forestry in the United States

Reference

Article describing quality of life and economic benefit from trees.

Thermal Mass

Reference

Webpage providing guidance on the use of thermal mass with passive heating and cooling strategies.

Sustainable Development Guidelines

Reference

Presentation on sustainable development including water conservation, passive solar, daylighting, natural ventilation, and land use.

Cooling with a Whole-House Fan

Reference

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

The Corsi-Rosenthal Box

Reference

Presentation describing how to make a Corsi-Rosenthal Box for air cleaning.

Science of Cool Roofs

Reference

Webpage discussing the characteristics of sunlight and how cool roofs work to reduce solar heat gain.

ASES March Webinar: Uncoupling Solar Light and Heat in Passive Solar Design

Presentation

Presentation from American Solar Energy Society on using spectrally selective window technology for passive solar design.

How to better equip your home for hotter temperatures

Video

Video from CBC News on long-term solutions for building homes for hot weather, including using radiant cooling and energy efficient windows.

Small Wind Site Assessment Guidelines

Reference

Technical report providing site selection guidance for installation of small wind turbines.

Heat.gov

Reference

Federal webpage providing information regarding extreme heat and health for the United States.

Sustainable Living Series

Reference

Presentation by the Washington University in St. Louis Office of Sustainability on saving energy.

Indirect/Passive Air-Flow Systems

Reference

Report detailing natural ventilation and passive airflow systems.

Earth Tubes Exhibit

Reference

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

High-Thermal-Mass Construction

Guide

Guide describing materials and methods for incorporating thermal mass into the construction of a home for temperature regulation, energy savings, and resistance to extreme heat and cold.

Rated Wall Products Directory

Reference

Searchable database of wall cladding and coating products that have undergone solar reflectance and thermal emittance testing.

Cool Surfaces Savings Explorer

Reference

Tool developed by LBNL to calculate potential savings from increasing wall and roof solar reflectance.

Designing Porous Polymers for Daytime Radiative Cooling

Video

Video from Advanced Materials Lecture Series on polymer technologies being developed for reflecting solar radiation in hot climates.

Using Cool Roofs to Reduce Heat Islands

Reference

Webpage describing the use of cool roofs to reduce heat islands and and benefits and costs.

Plymouth Community Center Project

Reference

City of Plymouth webpage providing information on the Plymouth Community Center Project.

Whole House Fans

Reference

Technical fact sheet describing proper operation, sizing, and installation of whole-house fans.

Urban Forestry Manual

Reference

Manual describing scientific, technical, and practical information needed to work with communities on urban forestry, including a section on trees and construction.