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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 151 - 182 of 182

Strategy Guideline: Demonstration Home

Author(s)
Savage,
Hunt
Organization(s)
BARA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Building Media
Publication Date
Report intending to provide useful information as the DOE/BA develops and implements comprehensive communications and outreach strategies for demonstration homes.

Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting

Author(s)
Holton
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Document offering methods to greatly reduce lighting energy use through the application of high quality fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) technologies.

Strategy Guideline: HVAC Equipment Sizing

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Report describing the equipment selection of a split system air conditioner and furnace for an example house in Chicago, Illinois, as well as a heat pump system for an example house in Orlando, Florida.

Strategy Guideline: Mitigation of Retrofit Risk Factors

Author(s)
Berman Mark,
Smith Pepper,
Porse Erik
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Document targeting retrofit program managers, retrofit contractors, policy makers, academic researchers, and non-governmental organizations that work to realize energy savings from home energy upgrades (HEUs).

Strategy Guideline: Partnering for High Performance Homes

Author(s)
Prahl
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Document serving as a starting point that features initial tools and resources for teams to start collaborating to continually improve the energy efficiency and durability of new houses.

Strategy Guideline: Proper Water Heater Selection

Author(s)
Hoeschele,
Springer,
German,
Staller,
Zhang
Organization(s)
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report about proper water heater selection developed to provide step-by-step procedures for evaluating preferred cost-effective options for energy efficient water heater alternatives based on local utility rates, climate, and anticipated loads.

Strategy Guideline: Quality Management in Existing Homes

Author(s)
Taggart,
Sikora,
Wiehagen,
Wood
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Research study providing a comparison of selected retrofit activity typically done, versus that same retrofit activity approached from an integrated high performance remodeling and quality management perspective.

Super Energy Efficient Design (S.E.E.D.) Home Evaluation

Author(s)
German Alea,
Dakin Bill,
Backman Christine,
Weitzel Elizabeth,
Springer David
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Research study determining how well high performance envelope and innovative cooling system interact to cost effectively reduce cooling energy use in this hot-dry climate.

Survey of Whole House Programs in Midwestern Climates

Author(s)
McGeough U,
Baker W,
Peters J,
Beitel A
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study making several recommendations to whole-home program designers and implementers for improving the cost effectiveness and reach of whole-home programs.

The Energy In Modular (EMOD) Buildings Method, A Guide To Energy-Efficient Design For Industrialized Construction Of Modular Buildings

Author(s)
Pless Shanti,
Podder Ankur,
Kaufman Zoe,
Klammer Noah,
Dennehy Conor,
Muthumanickam Naveen Kumar,
Rothgeb Stacey,
Louis Joseph,
Swanson Colby,
Wallace Heather,
Blazek Cedar
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Oregon State University,
Momentum Innovation Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing use of the Energy in Modular (EMOD) method to design, produce, and deliver affordable, net-zero energy, low-carbon, and healthier buildings through industrialized (factory) construction of modular buildings; modeling of whole buildings and subassemblies of components, pods, panels...

The reHABITAT Guide: For Energy- and Resource-Efficient Retrofit Strategies

Author(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings
Organization(s)
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report developed for Habitat for Humanity about lessons learned from demonstration retrofit projects undertaken by Habitat for Humanity affiliates in New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania; with building systems consulting and technical assistance provided by Steven Winter Associates.

The Role of Appraisals in Energy Efficiency Financing

Author(s)
Doyle
Organization(s)
BIRA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Research study identifying barriers, industry status, critical obstacles to documenting added value from energy efficiency improvements, current opportunities to support reporting about energy efficiency, and next steps toward enabling energy efficiency financing market transformation.

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.

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.

Validation of a Hot Water Distribution Model Using Laboratory and Field Data

Author(s)
Backman Christine,
Hoeschele Marc
Organization(s)
ARBI,
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Research study comparing TRNSYS Type 604 pipe model against laboratory pipe heat loss test data and detailed field monitoring data.

Variability in Measured Space Temperatures in 60 Homes

Author(s)
Roberts,
Lay
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
EnerNOC
Publication Date
Report discussing the measured variability in indoor space temperatures in a set of 60 homes located in Florida, New York, Oregon, and Washington.

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.