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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 - 50 of 163

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2012 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)
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)
Rosival Chris
Organization(s)
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry,
MN Department of Labor and Industry
Publication Date
Description
A presentation on the 2020 State Mechanical Code for easier understanding.
Author(s)
Bailes Allison
Organization(s)
Energy Vanguard
Publication Date
Description
Article describing products that can enhance the efficiency and safety of clothes dryer vents.
Author(s)
Lstiburek
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Article describing methods for venting a vented attic and a roof assembly over an unvented attic.
Author(s)
Springer David,
Dakin Bill,
Backman Christine
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Description
Research study estimating potential energy savings relative to conventional ducted air distribution, and identifying equipment requirements, costs, and barriers.
Author(s)
Hales David,
Eklund Ken,
Kunkle Rick,
Lubliner Michael,
Banks Adria
Organization(s)
Washington State University Extension Energy Program,
WSU Extension Energy Program,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
NEEA
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the results of a field study of five different ventilation system types in 29 homes in the Pacific Northwest.
Author(s)
Logue,
Turner,
Walker,
Singer
Organization(s)
LBNL,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Description
Report describing how changing the air exchange rate of a home (the sum of the infiltration and mechanical ventilation airflow rates) affects the annual thermal conditioning energy. Large-scale changes to air exchange rates of the housing stock can significantly alter the residential sectors energy...
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Energy Star web page providing guidance on attic ventilation.
Author(s)
Rutkowski
Organization(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Publication Date
Description
The manual covers residential zoning issues - multiple, single-zone, and central multi-zone systems - and includes advice on working with homeowners to adapt the heating or cooling system design to meet modern home design features.
Author(s)
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Organization(s)
AHAM
Publication Date
Description
Website providing research, efficiency and safety standards development, and advocacy to the home appliance industry to bring efficient, high-performing home appliances to consumers.
Author(s)
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Organization(s)
AHAM
Publication Date
Description
Website reporting efficiencies for dehumidifiers, room air conditioners, and room air cleaners that are tested by independent laboratories and reported by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
American National Standards Institute,
ANSI
Publication Date
Description
Standard providing guidance on predicting, mitigating, or reducing moisture damage to the building envelope, materials, components, systems, and furnishings, depending on climate, construction type, and HVAC system operation. This is the current version of the standard, which was published in the...
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
American National Standards Institute,
ANSI
Publication Date
Description
Standard establishing a test procedure for evaluating the performance of air-cleaning devices as a function of particle size. This is the current version of the standard, which was published in the year 2017, and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. The ASHRAE bookstore also...
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
American National Standards Institute,
ANSI
Publication Date
Description
Standard that provides procedures and methods for meeting minimum ventilation and indoor air quality requirements to engineers, design professionals, owners, and jurisdictional authorities where model codes have been adopted. This is the current version of the standard, which was published in the...
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
American National Standards Institute,
ANSI
Publication Date
Description
Standard that defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. This version of the standard was published in the year 2010, and is available for...
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
American National Standards Institute,
ANSI
Publication Date
Description
Standard that defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. This version of the standard was published in the year 2013, and is available for...
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Description
Standard that defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. This version of the standard was published in the year 2016, and is available for...
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
American National Standards Institute,
ANSI
Publication Date
Description
Standard that defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. This version of the standard was published in the year 2019, and is available for...
Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
American National Standards Institute,
ANSI
Publication Date
Description
Standard that describes the minimum requirements for residential buildings to achieve acceptable indoor air quality via dwelling-unit ventilation, local mechanical exhaust, and source control. This version of the standard was published in the year 2022, and is available for preview and purchase at...
Author(s)
Rapp,
Less,
Singer,
Stratton,
Wray
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Description
The exhaust from residential combustion appliances contains air pollutants and high levels of moisture that must be conveyed to the outdoors to maintain acceptable indoor quality.
Author(s)
ASTM International
Organization(s)
ASTM
Publication Date
Description
Test method that measures the capture efficiency of wall-mounted domestic range hoods under controlled conditions in a test chamber. The current version of this standard is available for preview and purchase at the link and was published in the year 2018. A previous version of this standard is...
Author(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Organization(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Publication Date
Description
Web page describing the benefits of attic fans, with rules for sizing fans and intake vents.
Author(s)
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Organization(s)
CMHC,
Government of Canada
Publication Date
Description
Article by the Canadian Government on attic ventilation and considerations for moisture and ice dams.
Author(s)
Van der Meer Bill
Organization(s)
The Weatherization Training Center at Penn College
Publication Date
Description
Technical article describing issues and moisture concerns related to weatherization efforts.
Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Organization(s)
PNNL
Publication Date
Description
Case study about Artistic Homes of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the first home builder in the United States to offer true net zero energy construction to the average home buyer on every home it builds.
Author(s)
Hammer & Hand
Organization(s)
Hammer & Hand
Publication Date
Description
This Best Practices Manual is the product of Hammer & Hand’s ongoing work to document and internally codify our standard operating procedures for construction practice.
Author(s)
Brand Larry
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy
Publication Date
Description
Expert meeting focusing on identifying gaps and barriers in combustion safety that need to be addressed by future research, and to develop data-driven technical recommendations for code updates so that a common approach for combustion safety can be adopted by all members of the building energy...
Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Description
ENRGY STAR webpage discussing the basics of certified ceiling fans.
Author(s)
Southface Energy Institute,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Organization(s)
Southface Energy Institute,
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet with information about insulating and ventilating attics.
Author(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Organization(s)
HVI
Publication Date
Description
Website providing an online directory of more than 3,600 residential ventilation products lisiting flowrates, sones, watts, and other performance metrics; all listed products have been tested by the Home Ventilating Institute.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
IECC code note explaining new fan efficacy requirements, along with how to determine which fans are affected by the new fan requirements.
Author(s)
Building Performance Institute
Organization(s)
BPI
Publication Date
Description
Fact sheet that details the steps needed to perform a combustion appliance safety inspection to determine if fossil fuel-fired appliances are operating safely under a depressurized condition.
Author(s)
Brand Larry,
Cautley D,
Bohac D,
Francisco P,
Shen L,
Gloss S
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership,
NorthernSTAR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report on a simplified test procedure for combustion safety that is easier to implement and should produce fewer false positives than the previous procedure.
Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Williamson Jim
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Research report anayzing the results of a large retrofit project, turining an old school into near zero energy consumption apartments in Greenfield MA.
Author(s)
Mott-Smith John
Organization(s)
City of Davis California
Publication Date
Description
Article describing the use of whole-house fans to provide cooling in the region surrounding Sacramento, CA.
Author(s)
Chandra Subrato,
Fairey III Philip W,
Houston Michael M
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Report providing recommendations to builders regarding how to reduce cooling loads, use air-circulation fans, natural ventilation, window and building design for natural ventilation, and whole-house fans.
Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Short report providing tips on how to reduce heat gain and passively cool a home.
Author(s)
Lstiburek
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Article describing strategies for reducing the risk of ice dam formation on roofs in winter.
Author(s)
Wilson Alex
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Description
Article from Green Building Advisor on strategies to take when building homes to reduce the need for air conditioning, including insulation, windows, site selection, and roofing.
Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Brochure with information about ducts in conditioned space.
Author(s)
National Institute of Health Division of Technical Resources
Organization(s)
National Institute of Health
Publication Date
Description
Bulletin describing the components of ECM motors and comparing their efficiency with PSC motors.