Resource Library

This webinar was originally presented by Paul Torcellini and David Goldwasser for the 2019 Design Challenge. In this webinar, Paul and David discuss computer energy modeling and how it is used as a tool to make design decisions.

In this episode, we share a video developed by the US Department of Energy to showcase a zero energy elementary school in Arlington, Virginia.

This webinar was originally presented as part of the 2020 Design Challenge. In this webinar, Michael Young introduces the Embodied Environmental Impact Contest, lessons learned, and recommendations from the Solar Decathlon competition management team.

In this video, viewers will learn about the distribution of energy consumption in the US by discussing primary energy sources, analyzing a Sankey Diagram for Energy Consumption, and looking at recent trends in energy generation.

This video introduces the First Law of Thermodynamics and how it can be used to analyze how energy moves in and around buildings.

This video is part 2 of the discussion on Fourier's Law. In this video, we define "building envelope", explain how the 3 modes of heat transfer discussed in part 1 can be applied to building science, and introduce the concepts of U-value and R-value.

In this video, we cover heat pump technology and go into the details for how this system works to both heat and cool buildings.

This video explains heating systems, primarily for residential applications, with a focus on heat sources and distribution systems.

This video explains the importance of studying Building Science by looking at the impact buildings have on the overall energy consumption in the US.

This video discusses air infiltration through the building envelope and how to measure the rate of air infiltration using volumetric flow rate.

This video is part 2 of the lesson on insulation. This lesson will cover how the various insulation materials discussed in part 1 can be applied in buildings.

This video is part 1 of the discussion on insulation; viewers will learn about the various materials used for insulation in the building industry.

This episode is an introduction to windows and the arrangement of windows on a building, known as fenestration. This video covers important terms used to describe properties of windows and the energy impact of windows in a building.

In this video, guest speaker Dr. Marcus Bianchi, Senior Engineer at NREL, discusses R-values and how they can be used to indicate insulation performance.

In this video, viewers will receive a detailed explanation on how to read an electricity bill. Using 3 examples, learn about the various things you will see on an electricity bill and the differences between bills for residential and commercial buildings.

Using knowledge on heat pumps and HVAC systems from previous videos in this module, this episode dives deeper into the sample calculations for reducing the electrical load on a residential building.

This video explains the impact of design decisions, the importance of setting goals, and how measurable goals can lead to more successful building design.

This video explains the concepts of site energy and source energy. After introducing the conversion factors for source energy consumption, this video goes through 2 example calculations for zero energy balance.

This webinar, originally presented as part of the 2020 Solar Decathlon Webinar Series, discusses photovoltaic (PV) systems, the most common way for a building to generate renewable energy.

This video discusses weather data, including heating degree days and cooling degree days, and how this information is used to inform the ΔT term in the Fourier's Law equation.