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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 301 - 338 of 338

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.

The Winding Road Towards "Zero" Energy: Lessons From Monitoring Efficient Solar Homes

Author(s)
Puttagunta Srikanth,
Aldrich Robb,
Owens Douglas,
Vijayakumar Gayathri
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report presenting results from whole-house monitoring efforts in hope that they may be useful for others moving towards zero energy homes.

Thermal Impact of Fasteners in High-Performance Wood-Framed Walls

Author(s)
Christensen Dane
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study investigating the thermal efficiency of fasteners, namely drywall screws and siding nails, in high-performance wood-framed walls.

Thermostatic Radiator Valve Evaluation

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Ansanelli Eric
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Report on a project conducted to better understand the current usage of thermostatic radiator valves by key market players in steam and hot water heating and to conduct limited experiments on the effectiveness of new and old thermostatic radiator valves as a means of controlling space temperatures...

Thin Triple-Pane Windows: Coming soon to a hardware store near you!

Author(s)
Gilbride Theresa
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Fact sheet poster describing the energy efficiency and comfort benefits of thin triple-pane windows as compared to standard triple-pane and double-pane windows.

Towards Sustainability - Green Building, Sustainability Objectives, and Building America Whole House Systems Research, BA-0801

Author(s)
Lukachko Alex,
Lstiburek Joseph
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report discussing Building America whole house systems research within the broad effort to reduce or eliminate the environmental impact of building and provides specific recommendations for future Building America research based on Building Science Corporations experience with several recent...

U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home Implementation

Author(s)
VonThoma E,
Mosiman Garrett
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership,
NorthernSTAR,
University of Minnesota
Publication Date
Report documenting the process and outcomes involved in achieving the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program certification standards while helping homebuilders in Climate Zones 5 and 6 in the Upper Midwest achieve ZERH certification.

Using Solar Hot Water to Address Piping Heat Losses in Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
Springer David,
Seitzler Matt,
Backman Christine,
Weitzel Elizabeth
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report on investigating the effectiveness of using solar thermal water heaters to address heat losses from piping while recirculating water in multifamily buildings.

Utility Benefits of Homes Approaching "Zero Energy"

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Walsh John T,
Swift Joseph
Organization(s)
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Western Massachusetts Electric Company,
Northeast Utilities
Publication Date
Report summarizing results from a study in Massachusetts that aimed to upgrade existing homes and incorporate solar thermal systems.

Van Geet Off-Grid Home: An Integrated Approach to Energy Savings

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Report about a project with successful integration of numerous energy-conservation and renewable-energy features into a beautiful, comfortable, and very energy-efficient off-grid home.

Vapor Control Layer Recommendations, Info-310

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Information sheet providing recommendations on the installation of vapor control layers.

Vapor Open Assemblies, Info-311

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Information sheet providing information about vapor management in building assemblies.

Vapor Permeance of Some Building Materials, Info-312

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Information sheet providing details on the vapor permeance of different types of materials used in building assemblies.

Ventilating Your Home

Author(s)
Puttagunta
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Information sheet about proper ventilation and air sealing.

Ventilation System Effectiveness and Tested Indoor Air Quality Impacts

Author(s)
Rudd,
Lstiburek
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
This report describes how twenty homes were tested and monitored in the Zone 2 climate of Houston, Texas, U.S.A., to evaluate the humidity control performance and operating cost of six different integrated dehumidification and ventilation systems that could be applied by production homebuilders.

Volatile Organic Compound Concentrations and Emission Rates in New Manufactured and Site-Built Houses, RR-0803

Author(s)
Rudd Armin,
Hodgson Alfred T,
Beal David,
Chandra Subrato
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Report describing concentrations of 54 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ventilation rates that were measured in four new manufactured houses over 2 - 9.5 months following installation and in seven new site built houses 1 - 2 months after completion.

Water Management of Noninsulating and Insulating Sheathings

Author(s)
Smegal,
Lstiburek
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Report summarizing current research, summarizes issues that have been experienced with current best practices, and recommends ways in which the best practices can be improved for water managing sheathings.

WaterSense Labeled Homes Technical Sheet: Kitchen Faucets

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
WaterSense
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing the requirements for EPA WaterSense® certified kitchen faucets that highlights flow rate specifications, efficiency code standards, local requirements, faucet types and regulations for building and verifying a labeled faucet to ensure it meets the quality and water management...

West Village Community: Quality Management Processes and Preliminary Heat Pump Water Heater Performance

Author(s)
Dakin Bill,
Backman Christine,
Hoeschele Marc,
German Alea
Organization(s)
ARBI,
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report evaluating performance/efficiency of central heat pump water heaters and quality assurance/quality control processes in system startup, operation and efficiency program participation.

Which Spray Foam is Right For You?

Author(s)
Zoeller
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Information sheet about insulation materials.

Whole House Mechanical Ventilation: A South Chicago Case Study

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report summarizing results from a case study about whole-house mechanical ventilation systems in Chicago.

Window Attachments Offer Added Savings

Author(s)
Gilbride Theresa
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Fact sheet poster describing and comparing the energy-saving and comfort benefits of window attachment options such as low-emissivity storm windows, automated blinds, cellular shades, and solar screens, etc.

Wisdom Way Solar Village

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Article describing sustainable community development of near zero energy homes in Greenfield, Massachusetts.

WPPI GreenMax-Scheller Residence: Near Zero Energy Monitoring Summary

Author(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings
Organization(s)
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Research study describing demonstration homes that provided a wealth of information for the building community in terms of the science, effort, and cost of increasing the energy efficiency of our nation's housing stock.