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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 51 - 100 of 108

Guide to Closing and Conditioning Ventilated Crawlspaces

Author(s)
Dickson
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Report explaining the issues and concerns with conventional ventilated crawlspaces and to outline prescriptive measures for improvements that will create healthier and more durable spaces.

Hood River Passive House

Author(s)
Hales
Organization(s)
WSU Extension Energy Programs,
PIRC
Publication Date
Report documenting short-term test results of the Shift House and compares the results of Passive House Planning Package and Building Energy Optimization modeling of the project.

Improved Modeling of Residential Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps for Energy Calculations

Author(s)
Cutler Dylan,
Winkler Jon,
Kruis Neal,
Christensen Craig,
Brandemuehl Michael J
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
University of Colorado,
CU
Publication Date
Report presenting improved air conditioner (AC) and heat pump (HP) modeling methods in the context of whole-building simulation tools.

Measure Guideline: Air Conditioner Diagnostics, Maintenance, and Replacement

Author(s)
Springer David,
Dakin Bill
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Document providing information on the impact of various defects and the potential energy savings that can result from proper maintenance, and describing a two-step process for diagnosing and correcting faults. This document is targeted towards home performance contractors who are relatively...

Measure Guideline: Condensing Boilers - Control Strategies for Optimizing Performance and Comfort in Residential Applications

Author(s)
Arena Lois
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Document intended for designers and installers of hydronic heating systems interested in maximizing the overall system efficiency of condensing boilers when coupled with baseboard convectors. It is applicable to new and retrofit projects.

Measure Guideline: Steam System Balancing and Tuning for Multifamily Residential Buildings

Author(s)
Choi Jayne,
Ludwig Peter,
Brand Larry
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy
Publication Date
Document intending to put some context and structure around the process of balancing and tuning one-pipe steam systems to help practitioners begin to garner the potential in energy savings that this measure presents.

Moisture Management for High R-Value Walls

Author(s)
Lepage,
Schumacher,
Lukachko
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Report explaining moisture-related concerns for high R-value wall assemblies and discusses past Building America research work that informs this study.

Moisture Research - Optimizing Wall Assemblies

Author(s)
Arena Lois,
Mantha Pallavi
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report describing evaluation of several configurations of wall assemblies to determine the accuracy of moisture modeling and make recommendations to ensure durable, efficient assemblies.

Multi-Family Construction Air Sealing Guide

Author(s)
Steven Winter Associates
Organization(s)
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report providing guidance to air sealing multifamily homes.

Optimizing Hydronic System Performance in Residential Applications

Author(s)
Arena Lois,
Faakye Omari
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study using modeling to determine optimal combination(s) of components/pumps, high efficiency heat sources, plumbing configurations and controls that result in the highest overall efficiency for a hydronic system.

Overheating in Hot Water- and Steam-Heated Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
Dentz,
Varshney,
Henderson
Organization(s)
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Report providing information to researchers, utility program managers, and building owners interested in controlling heating energy waste and improving resident comfort.

Predicting Envelope Leakage in Attached Dwellings

Author(s)
Faakye Omari,
Arena Lois,
Griffiths Dianne
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study exploring a test method measuring air leakage between units through common surfaces and air infiltration across exterior, noncommon surfaces of the enclosure.

Report: 56th & Walnut - A Philly Gut Rehab Development

Author(s)
Puttagunta,
Faakye,
Zoeller
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report researching cost- effective solution packages for significant energy efficiency and indoor air quality improvements masonry multifamily urban buildings.

Residential Best Practices Criteria, Info-001

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Document containing some of the basic characteristics for energy performance, durability, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality that should be met in all high performance homes.

Retrofit of a MultiFamily Mass Masonry Building in New England

Author(s)
Ueno,
Kerrigan,
Wytrykowska,
Van Straaten
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Research study about a high performance retrofit of an existing brick building (a former convent) into condominiums, all affordable housing.

Retrofitting the Southeast: The Cool Energy House

Author(s)
Zoeller,
Shapiro,
Vijayakumar,
Puttagunta
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report about a deep energy retrofit Cool Energy House.

Short-Term Test Results: Multifamily Home Energy Efficiency Retrofit

Author(s)
Lyons
Organization(s)
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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.

Strategy Guideline: Application of a Construction Quality Process to Existing Home Retrofits

Author(s)
Mallay David,
Del Bianco Marie
Organization(s)
Partnership for Home Innovation,
PHI,
Home Innovation Research Labs
Publication Date
Report following the evolution of the construction quality process from its development for new homes to its application construction of a HPH with enhanced specifications, and its application in a crawlspace renovation.

Strategy Guideline: Compact Air Distribution Systems

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
Document covering the pros and cons of compact air distribution systems and the decision criteria that must be considered early in the whole-house design process.

Strategy Guideline: Partnering for High Performance Homes

Author(s)
Prahl
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Document serving as a starting point that features initial tools and resources for teams to start collaborating to continually improve the energy efficiency and durability of new houses.

Systems Evaluation at the Cool Energy House

Author(s)
Williamson,
Puttagunta
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report providing performance results of a home's heat pump water heater and whole-house dehumidifier over a six-month period.

TaC Studios New Construction Test House

Author(s)
Butler T,
Curtis O,
Kim E,
Roberts S,
Stephenson R
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
Home Innovation Research Labs,
Southface
Publication Date
Report evaluating a test home built in Atlanta, GA in the mixed-humid climate zone. The report outlines the features of the house, discusses the implementation of the energy efficient design, and presents the results of short-term characterization testing.

The Next Step Toward Widespread Residential Deep Energy Retrofits

Author(s)
McIlvaine Janet E R,
Saunders S,
Bordelon E,
Baden S,
Elam L,
Martin Eric
Organization(s)
BA-PIRC,
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
TexEnergy Solutions,
Residential Energy Services Network,
RESNET
Publication Date
Report providing a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis inherent to different models as a way of thinking about the transition from traditional business models into a viable model for delivering deep energy retrofits.

The Performance House - A Cold Climate Challenge Home

Author(s)
Puttagunta,
Grab,
Williamson
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report about seeking a 30% source energy savings targets over a comparable 2009 International Energy Conservation Code-built home in the cold climate zone, using simple measures.