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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 143

Energy Savings and Peak Demand Reduction of a SEER 21 Heat Pump vs. a SEER 13 Heat Pump with Attic and Indoor Duct Systems

Author(s)
Cummings James B,
Withers Charles R
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Research study describing experiments run in an unoccupied 1600 square foot house to evaluate the delivered performance as well as the relative performance of a SEER 21 variable capacity heat pump versus a SEER 13 heat pump.

Energy Savings From System Efficiency Improvements in Iowa's HVAC SAVE Program

Author(s)
Yee S,
Baker J,
Brand Larry,
Wells J
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Publication Date
Report using pre- and post-system upgrade data to analyze the energy savings associated with Iowa's HVAC SAVE program for space heating.

ENERGY STAR Air Source Heat Pumps Tax Credit

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
This is a federal tax credit for complying air source heat pumpe. Units located in the "North" must meet ENERGY STAR's cold climate heat pump criteria.

ENERGY STAR HVAC Design Report

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
This report is designed to meet ASHRAE 62.2-2010/2013 and ANSI/ACCA’s 5 QI-2015 protocol, thereby improving the performance of HVAC equipment in new homes when compared to homes built to minimum code.

Energy Star Smart Thermostats

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Guide from Energy Star on smart thermostats and offering some guidance for choosing one.

ENERGY STAR® Certified Mini Split Heat Pumps

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Factsheet describing mini split heat pumps and their benefits for consumers.

Energy-Efficient Ducted Evaporative Coolers

Author(s)
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Organization(s)
PG&E
Publication Date
Fact sheet providing information on how evaporative coolers work, how to select and size a unit, and basic installation practices.

Evaluation of Northern Illinois Residential Retrofit Delivery Practices

Author(s)
Rowley P,
Kerr R,
Brand Larry
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
MEEA,
CNT Energy,
Elevate Energy,
Future Energy Enterprises
Publication Date
Document reviewing four cold-climate northern Illinois energy efficiency retrofit programs to identify practices, tools, and approaches to streamline and reduce costs of comprehensive retrofits, and to improve the consistency of audit and retrofit delivery practices across different programs.

Evaluation of Retrofit Variable-Speed Furnace Fan Motors

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Williamson Jim
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report detailing the effects of replacing PSC motors with more efficient, variable-speed motors.

Evaporative Cooler Tips

Author(s)
Home Energy Saver
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
Webpage providing tips for installing and maintaining an evaporative cooler.

Evaporative Coolers

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Article describing how evaporative coolers work and how to maintain them.

Evaporative Coolers

Author(s)
NORESCO
Organization(s)
NORESCO
Publication Date
Article describing RESNET guidance on evaporative coolers.

Evaporative Coolers: General History of the Evaporative Cooler

Author(s)
Pima County Public Library
Organization(s)
Pima County Public Library
Publication Date
Web article describing the evolution of evaporative coolers, water usage of evaporative coolers, and links to information on selecting an evaporative cooler.

Examining the Benefits of ECMs

Author(s)
Mohalley
Organization(s)
Air Conditioning,
Heating and Refrigeration (ACHR) News
Publication Date
Article describing benefits of ECM motors and how they can be installed as retrofit motors in HVAC equipment.

Expert Meeting Report: Achieving the Best Installed Performance from High-Efficiency Residential Gas Furnaces

Author(s)
Brand Larry
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy
Publication Date
Expert meeting identifying installation practices that provide the best installed efficiency for residential gas furnaces, explain how AFUE and field efficiency can differ, and investigate the impact of installation practices on the efficiency and long-term durability of the furnace.

Exterior Insulation Implications on Heating and Cooling in Cold Climates

Author(s)
Herk,
Poerschke
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is interested in finding cost-effective solutions for deep energy retrofits (DERs) related to exterior wall insulation in a cold climate, with targets of 50% peak load reduction and 50% space conditioning energy savings.

Field Monitoring Protocol: Mini-Split Heat Pumps

Author(s)
Christensen Dane,
Fang X,
Tomerlin Jeff,
Winkler Jon,
Hancock Ed
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Mountain Energy Partnership
Publication Date
Information sheet with an analysis of mini split heat pump systems.

Field Performance of Heat Pump Water Heaters in the Northeast

Author(s)
Shapiro Carl,
Puttagunta Srikanth
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Research study evaluating 14 heat pump water heaters, attempting to provide publically available field data on new HPWHs by monitoring the performance of three recently released products .

Field Validation of a Smart Energy Recovery Ventilation System Using Low-Cost Indoor Air Quality Sensors

Author(s)
Hains Bryant,
Abi Saab Rawad,
Giddings Tylesha,
Magande Hugh,
Grygier Jenna,
Liang Donghai,
Gao Han,
Sarnat Jeremy,
Horner Elliott
Organization(s)
Southface,
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Publication Date
Technical report on a field validation study that utilizes low-cost indoor air quality sensors to assess a smart ventilation system's effectiveness in maintaining acceptable indoor humidity in low-load homes in humid environments, revealing that while the smart ventilation algorithm demonstrated...

Flood Cleanup: Protecting Indoor Air Quality

Author(s)
US Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
This five-page brochure contains basic information on flood cleanup with illustrations and links to more detailed information.

Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

Author(s)
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website highlighting the DOE Building Technologies Office Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings Initiative, including technical reports, other publications, resources, and presentations.

Heat & Cool Efficiently

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
A ENERGY STAR guide on efficient heating, ventilation and cooling systems in residential homes.

Heat Pumps for Heating and Cooling

Author(s)
Town of Concord Massachusetts
Organization(s)
Town of Concord Massachusetts
Publication Date
Webpage providing basic information on various types of heat pumps and their applications in Massachusetts.

HVAC – Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing

Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Organization(s)
PNNL
Publication Date
Webpage providing curriculum with links to presentations and problem sets for teaching an understanding of sizing cold climate heat pumps.

HVAC Sizing Tool

Author(s)
BetterBuilt Northwest
Organization(s)
BetterBuiltNW,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
NEEA
Publication Date
Software tool available free online that can help calculate heating and cooling requirements to accurately size HVAC equipment in as little as 15 minutes.

HVAC System Pressure Relief

Author(s)
Raymer,
Moyer
Organization(s)
Tamarack Technologies,
Florida Solar Energy Center
Publication Date
Correcting pressure imbalances in your HVAC system can result in a healthier, more efficient home.

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.

Improvements in Fan Motor Efficiency Could Yield Big Savings

Author(s)
Holliday,
Martin
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Article in Energy Design Update describing the cost and savings benefits of electronically commutated motors (ECMs) for HVAC equipment.

Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life

Author(s)
Brand Larry,
Yee S,
Baker J
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR
Publication Date
Report examining the impacts that common installation practices and age- induced equipment degradation may have on the installed performance of natural gas furnaces, as measured by steady-state efficiency and AFUE.

Installing and Maintaining Evaporative Coolers

Author(s)
Roy Otterbein
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Article describing what evaporative coolers are, how they work, different types, performance, where they are appropriate, and how to install and maintain them.

Integrated Ventilation System Increases Energy Efficiency and Ease of Installations

Author(s)
NREL
Organization(s)
NREL,
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing the newly developed Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System (VICS) that reduces space requirements and eliminates costly ductwork for separate heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, all while enhancing performance, addressing the demand for energy-efficient homes, and...