Organization(s)
ADC
Publication Date
Description
Presentation about proper installation of flexible ducts.
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 151 - 200 of 289
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Mountain Energy Partnership,
Partnership for Resource Conservation
Publication Date
Description
Report detailing the monitored and modeled performance of a solar home outside of Washington DC.
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Description
A ENERGY STAR guide on efficient heating, ventilation and cooling systems in residential homes.
Organization(s)
Energy Vanguard
Publication Date
Description
Article discussing the advantages of using heat pumps and/or hydronic forced air heat instead of furnaces in high-performance homes.
Organization(s)
Town of Concord Massachusetts
Publication Date
Description
Webpage providing basic information on various types of heat pumps and their applications in Massachusetts.
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Factsheet profiling a simple modification that can be made to window air-conditioners to improve their energy efficiency.
Organization(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Publication Date
Description
Website providing certified rating programs to help manufacturers, builders, contractors and homeowners compare performance of ventilation products for air flow, sound, and other performance characteristics.
Organization(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
Report presenting construction methods, building products, appliances and equipment of four single-family houses that achieve dramatic energy reductions and approach “net zero energy” use.
Organization(s)
American Boiler Manufacturers Association
Publication Date
Description
Article describing how to use radiator inlet orifices optimize two-pipe steam heating systems.
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Description
Factsheet describing how to partially install a heat pump in a manufactured home in the manufactured home factory.
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Description
Website blog with guidance about calculating heat-loss.
Organization(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs
Publication Date
Description
Fact Sheet describing the need for supplemental dehumidification, dehumidifier configuration options, and design considerations.
Organization(s)
PNNL
Publication Date
Description
Webpage providing curriculum with links to presentations and problem sets for teaching an understanding of sizing cold climate heat pumps.
Organization(s)
BetterBuiltNW,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
NEEA
Publication Date
Description
Software tool available free online that can help calculate heating and cooling requirements to accurately size HVAC equipment in as little as 15 minutes.
Organization(s)
Tamarack Technologies,
Florida Solar Energy Center
Publication Date
Description
Correcting pressure imbalances in your HVAC system can result in a healthier, more efficient home.
Organization(s)
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing the status of a central hydronic heating system project in multifamily housing at the conclusion of the 20112012 heating season.
Organization(s)
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Description
Report evaluating the relative effectiveness of various control and distribution strategies to improve hydronic space heating performance in existing low-rise multifamily buildings
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
IBACOS
Publication Date
Description
The study described in this white paper is based on building energy modeling with an important focus on the indoor humidity impacts of ventilation.
Organization(s)
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing approaches to addressing duct leakage in hot humid climates.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
University of Colorado,
CU
Publication Date
Description
Report presenting improved air conditioner (AC) and heat pump (HP) modeling methods in the context of whole-building simulation tools.
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Description
Article in Energy Design Update describing the cost and savings benefits of electronically commutated motors (ECMs) for HVAC equipment.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Presentation on Improving Air-Conditioner and Heat Pump Modeling.
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Description
Article describing what evaporative coolers are, how they work, different types, performance, where they are appropriate, and how to install and maintain them.
Organization(s)
NREL,
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Publication Date
Description
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...
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report about promoting energy efficiency for Hilton Head Island.
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Report describing as-found interior platform return plenums, the magnitude of their contribution to the total amount of duct leakage, and techniques and results of retrofits executed by the HVAC trade during equipment replacement.
Organization(s)
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the results of a 21-home field study investigating the effectiveness and failure rates of whole-house mechanical ventilation systems installed in Florida homes over the last 15 years.
Organization(s)
Texas A&M University
Publication Date
Description
Research report discussing the reduction of HVAC energy consumption to meet U.S. greenhouse gas targets and DOE's energy-efficient building goals. It introduces iComfort, an IoT-based system for optimizing home comfort and energy savings.
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet about efficiency and health benefits of MERV filters.
Organization(s)
BSC,
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Description
Article describing air leakage in buildings.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report providing information about laboratory testing of four residential window air conditioners.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report documenting the measured performance of six residential ENERGY STAR vapor compression dehumidifiers.
Organization(s)
ASHI Reporter
Publication Date
Description
Article describing how to properly manage condensing HVAC equipment.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Description
Report on whole-house and spot ventilation strategies for improved indoor air quality.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Description
Report on the long-term performance of mini-split heat pumps.
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
Description
Report presenting long-term evaluation results from a hot-dry climate project that examines thermal and HVAC performance in a highly efficient home.
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
Florida Home Energy and Resources Organization,
Florida HERO,
Energy Smart Home Plans,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Description
Document presenting a cost effective method that was used by four builders in the Gainesville, FL area to construct interior ducts in over a dozen site built homes.
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Description
If your kitchen has a powerful exhaust fan, it may be pulling air down your chimney or water-heater flue.
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Report focusing on managing the driving forces that move air and water vapor across the building envelope.
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Description
Standard technical manual with information about HVSC balancing, testing air and hydronic systems.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Description
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...
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Document covering two fundamental retrofit strategies for air sealing around air handling systems that are located within the living space in an enclosed closet.
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Project discussing buried or encapsulated ducts and their pros and cons.
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership,
NorthernSTAR,
University of Minnesota
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the installation and operation of forced-air heating and domestic hot water combi systems in residential homes.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report providing step-by-step instructions for heating contractors and hydronic designers for selecting the proper control settings to maximize system performance and improve response time when using a thermostat setback.
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Description
Report about evaporative condensers, to provide information on a cost-effective solution for energy and demand savings in homes with cooling loads.
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy
Publication Date
Description
Document covering installation of high efficiency gas furnaces, including when to install a high efficiency gas furnace as a retrofit measure, how to identify and address risks, and steps to follow for the selection and installation process.
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
Description
Report providing guidance on how to implement a compact duct system inside a plenum truss bulkhead of a one-story, slab-on-grade home.