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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 1 - 21 of 21

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2018 edition of code establishing minimum regulations for mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, ducts, fireplaces, combustion and hydronic systems, using prescriptive and performance-related provisions.
Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Description
Standard outlining industry procedure for sizing residential duct systems.
Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Description
Standard covering equipment sizing loads for single-family-detached homes, small multi-unit structures, condo­miniums, town houses and manufactured homes.
Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Description
Standard covering sizing strategies for all types of cooling and heating equipment, as well as how to use comprehensive manufacturer’s performance data on sensible, latent, or heating capacity for various operating conditions.
Author(s)
Gilbride Theresa L,
Baechler Michael C,
Hefty Marye G,
Hand James R,
Love Pat M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
Report providing information about energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) equipment options to help homeowners cut their energy use, reduce their carbon footprint, and increase their homes comfort, health, and safety.
Author(s)
Barnaby Charles S,
Wilcox Bruce A
Organization(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Description
Technical report detailing a study in which actual cooling loads are compared to modeled cooling loads.
Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
Description
Report outlining the issues with using existing ducts with a new low-load HVAC system, which reduces throw at supply registers causing decreased mixing of supply and room air, leading to potential thermal comfort complaints.
Author(s)
Rudd,
Prahl
Organization(s)
ABT Systems,
IBACOS
Publication Date
Description
Report identifying two barriers that limit the ability of builders to explore opportunities for higher levels of energy efficiency in housing: the use of duct system materials that inherently achieve airtightness and are right-sized for low-load houses, and, the ability to air seal fire separation...
Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
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.
Author(s)
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Organization(s)
PG&E
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet providing information on how evaporative coolers work, how to select and size a unit, and basic installation practices.
Author(s)
Cullin James R,
Xing Lu,
Lee Edwin,
Spitler Jeffrey D,
Fisher Daniel E
Organization(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE,
Oklahoma State University,
OSU,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
Study characterizing how foundation heat exchangers (FHXs) used in residential ground source heat pump systems represent a potential cost savings due to their lesser first cost over other types of heat exchangers.
Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Brochure on specifications for PV systems.
Author(s)
ATCO Rubber Products Inc.,
Air Duct Council
Organization(s)
ADC
Publication Date
Description
Presentation about proper installation of flexible ducts.
Author(s)
Roy Otterbein
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.
Author(s)
Arena Lois
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.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
A website providing information on how to properly size a water heater based on tank size, volume, peak hour demand and other factors.
Author(s)
Global Technology and Information Services
Organization(s)
SIL International
Publication Date
Description
Web page describing the basics of how to size and build a battery bank for electricity storage.
Author(s)
Rudd
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
This document covers a description of the need and applied solutions for supplemental dehumidification in warm-humid climates, especially for energy efficient homes where the sensible cooling load has been dramatically reduced.