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Single-Family Residential Field Study Toolkit

While the fundamental rules and procedures for implementing a single-family building energy code field study are found in the Single-Family Building Energy Code Field Study – Data Collection and Analysis Methodology, this toolkit contains additional resources and sample documents to assist project teams with implementing field studies. The toolkit builds off of more than a decade of DOE, PNNL, and project team experience to give future project teams a head start and help them overcome practical challenges.

The tookit is available for download, either as a complete set or as individual files and contains stakeholder kickoff meeting guide, agenda, presentation template, and materials; supplemental data Sources for home population generation and recruitment;  sample recruitment materials; a photo-documentation checklist; a field study data quality assurance checklist for project teams; a printable data collection form and information on how to complete the data collection form.

Showing results 1 - 7 of 7

Field Study Data Quality Assurance for Project Teams

Document Number: PNNL-SA-198369
Document Type: Checklist, Field Study, Single-Family Residential
Publication Date:

Field study project teams are required to perform quality assurance (QA) on the data they collect prior to sending it to PNNL for additional QA and analysis. This document provides a list of QA checks that project teams should perform.

Kickoff Meeting Presentation Template

Document Type: Field Study, Single-Family Residential, Template
Publication Date:

This PowerPoint is intended to be adapted by project teams to fit their needs and the needs of their stakeholders. The slide theme and other features may be changed to suit the presenting organization.

Residential Field Study Photo Documentation

Document Type: Checklist, Field Study, Single-Family Residential
Publication Date:

This document contains checklists of items to photograph while onsite to help answer questions that may arise regarding the accuracy of entries in the data collection form. Questions may be raised during quality assurance reviews by the project team and PNNL. For each piece of data entered, it is a best practice to have photo-documentation to facilitate future validation of that value. Photographs are also extremely useful for subsequent training programs, field guides, and educational documents.

Supplemental Data Sources for Home Population Generation and Recruitment

Document Number: PNNL-SA-188473
Document Type: Field Study, Single-Family Residential
Publication Date:

The primary method for creating a population of homes from which to derive a random sample, as explained in the methodology, is to contact sample jurisdictions to obtain lists of homes. These lists are then sorted randomly to fulfill the sample. While this method has had success, it is not always possible to obtain a list of permits from a jurisdiction. In addition, even when permit data is available directly through a jurisdiction, it can be difficult to ascertain information on the construction status of sample homes. Knowing the phase of construction can be used to inform the timing of site visits to improve data collection efficiency.

For these reasons, alternative or supplemental methods of creating a home population for random sampling may be necessary. Alternative methods that may be used to build a list of recently permitted homes include target searches using jurisdictional inspection schedules, online real estate services, and general internet searches. The same alternative sources of data used to generate the population of homes may also help in scheduling site visits to arrive during phases of construction that maximize the number of observations per site visit.

Complete Single-Family Residential Field Study Toolkit (ZIP file)

Document Type: Field Study, Single-Family Residential
Publication Date:

This file contains all of the Sample Kickoff and Recruitment Materials, as well as the checklists, templates and guides. 

NOTE: All files included in this zip file are also available for download individually. 

Single-Family Residential Field Study Sample Kickoff Materials (ZIP file)

Document Type: Field Study, Single-Family Residential, Kickoff Materials
Publication Date:

Sample Kickoff Materials include Kickoff Meeting Presentations for Alabama, Arizona, Idaho TAG, Idaho, Iowa,  and Utah. A Stakeholder Kickoff Draft Agenda for Alabama is also included.

NOTE: These files are also available for download individually. 

Single-Family Residential Field Study Sample Recruitment Materials (ZIP file)

Document Type: Field Study, Single-Family Residential, Recruitment Materials
Publication Date:

Sample Recruitment Materials include:

  • Alabama Sample FOIA Request
  • Georgia Field Study Representative Badge Sample
  • Alabama Phone Script (Builders)
  • Alabama Phone Script (Jurisdictions)
  • Pennsylvania Phone Script (Builders)
  • Sample Kentucky Press Release
  • Sample Digital Ads
  • Sample Idaho Email Text (Code Officials)
  • Recruitment Flyers for Iowa, New Mexico, and South Carolina
  • Recruitment Letters to Code Officials, Builders and/or Jursidictions for Alabama, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina Recruitment Rack Card
  • Colorado and Nevada Request for Proposals for Field Data Collection Services
  • Kentucky Request for Proposals for Residential Energy Code Compliance Evaluation

NOTE: These files are also available for download individually.