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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 54

9 Recommended Practices for Cold-Climate Ductless Heat Pump Installations

Author(s)
BetterBuilt NW
Organization(s)
BetterBuiltNW,
NEEA
Publication Date
Web page describing essential guidelines and recommendations for optimal installation of ductless heat pumps in cold climates, ensuring maximum heating performance and long-term satisfaction for homeowners, supported by research-backed insights and detailed resources.

A Feasibility Study: Ductless Hydronic Distribution systems with Fan Coil Delivery

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
Research study estimating potential energy savings relative to conventional ducted air distribution, and identifying equipment requirements, costs, and barriers.

A Plug-and-Play Duct System Evaluation

Author(s)
Beach Robert,
Dickson B,
Grisolia A,
Poerschke A,
Rapport A
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
This report describes an air distribution system composed of a series of uniformly-sized ducts that terminate in rooms throughout the home and return to a central manifold, similar in fashion to a “home-run” cross-linked polyethylene plumbing system. With a well-designed manifold, each duct receives...

ACCA Manual D - Residential Duct Systems

Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Standard outlining industry procedure for sizing residential duct systems.

Air Distribution Retrofit Strategies for Affordable Housing

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Conlin Francis,
Holloway Parker,
Podorson David,
Varshney Kapil
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Report describing two retrofit duct sealing techniques - manually-applied sealants and injecting a spray sealant, that were implemented in several low-rise multi-unit buildings in North Carolina.

Building America Best Practices Series Volume 14: HVAC: A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners

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
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.

Distribution and Room Air Mixing Risks to Retrofitted Homes

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
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.

Duct and HVAC Insulation

Author(s)
North American Insulation Manufacturers Association
Organization(s)
North American Insulation Manufacturers Association
Publication Date
Information sheet with HVAC duct insulation, testing, maintenance and performance information.

Duct Sealing

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Brochure with details on HVAC duct air sealing.

Duct System Flammability and Air Sealing Fire Separation Assemblies in the International Residential Code

Author(s)
Rudd,
Prahl
Organization(s)
ABT Systems,
IBACOS
Publication Date
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...

Ducts in Conditioned Space

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Brochure with information about ducts in conditioned space.

Energy Savings and Peak Demand Reduction of a SEER 21 Heat Pump vs. a SEER 13 Heat Pump with Attic and Indoor Duct Systems

Author(s)
Cummings James B,
Withers Charles R
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Research study describing experiments run in an unoccupied 1600 square foot house to evaluate the delivered performance as well as the relative performance of a SEER 21 variable capacity heat pump versus a SEER 13 heat pump.

Evaluation of Retrofit Delivery Packages

Author(s)
Berman Mark,
Smith Pepper,
Porse Erik
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report evaluating opportunities to improve and streamline delivery of residential retrofit measures.

Expert Meeting: Optimized Heating Systems Using Condensing Boilers and Baseboard Convectors

Author(s)
Arena Lois
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Expert meeting held to review and discuss results and future plans for research to improve the performance of hydronic heating systems using condensing boilers and baseboard convectors.

Fiber Glass Duct Board Fabrication Instructions

Author(s)
Johns Manville
Organization(s)
Johns Manville
Publication Date
Information sheet providing detail about hand fabrication of a one-piece straight duct from a 48" x 120" x 1" thick (1.22 m x 3.05 m x 25 mm) sheet where the total inside duct dimensions equals 112" (2.84 m) or less.

Flexible Duct Performance and Installation Standards

Author(s)
Air Diffusion Council
Organization(s)
ADC
Publication Date
Standard providing a comprehensive approach to evaluating, selecting, specifying and installing flexible duct in HVAC systems.

Guidelines for Installing Flexible Duct

Author(s)
ATCO Rubber Products Inc.,
Air Duct Council
Organization(s)
ADC
Publication Date
Presentation about proper installation of flexible ducts.

Low-Cost Solar Water Heating Research and Development Roadmap

Author(s)
Hudon Kate,
Merrigan Tim,
Burch Jay,
Maguire Jeff
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report identifying the target market for solar water heaters and potential pathways and cost/performance targets that must be met for these systems to realize large energy savings.

Measure Guideline: Condensing Boilers - Control Strategies for Optimizing Performance and Comfort in Residential Applications

Author(s)
Arena Lois
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Document intended for designers and installers of hydronic heating systems interested in maximizing the overall system efficiency of condensing boilers when coupled with baseboard convectors. It is applicable to new and retrofit projects.

Measure Guideline: Heat Pump Water Heaters in New and Existing Homes

Author(s)
Shapiro,
Puttagunta,
Owens
Organization(s)
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Document with evaluation of 14 heat pump water heaters (including three recently released HPWH products) installed in existing homes in the northeast region of the United States.

Measure Guideline: Sealing and Insulating Ducts in Existing Homes

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Puttagunta Srikanth
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Report describing the sealing and insulating of HVAC duct systems in existing homes.

Measure Guideline: Summary of Interior Ducts in New Construction, Including an Efficient, Affordable Method to Install Fur-Down Interior Ducts

Author(s)
Beal David,
McIlvaine Janet E R,
Fonorow Ken,
Martin Eric
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Document illustrating guidelines for efficient installation of interior duct systems in new housing.

Measure Guideline: Transitioning to a Tankless Water Heater

Author(s)
Brozyna Kevin,
Rapport A
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Document developed to help residential builders and retrofitters transition from tank-type water heaters to tankless water heaters.

Novel, Simplified Air Delivery System Design Gets Commercialized

Author(s)
Burkett Lena,
Rapport Ari
Organization(s)
NREL
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing a novel, simplified air delivery system using a plug-and-play model that features 3-inch diameter flexible ducts, efficient fittings, and a simplified installation process that resulted in successful market engagement through commercialization.

Optimizing Hydronic System Performance in Residential Applications

Author(s)
Arena Lois,
Faakye Omari
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study using modeling to determine optimal combination(s) of components/pumps, high efficiency heat sources, plumbing configurations and controls that result in the highest overall efficiency for a hydronic system.

Raised Ceiling Interior Duct System

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
DOE case study findings on raised ceiling interior duct systems.

Review of Residential Ventilation Technologies

Author(s)
Russell,
Sherman,
Rudd
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
Document reviewing current and potential ventilation technologies for residential buildings with particular emphasis on North American climates and construction.

Sealed Attics?

Author(s)
Coble Brian
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Article describing how insulating and air sealing unfinished attic spaces can lead to reduced energy bills in some homes.

Steam System Balancing and Tuning for Multifamily Residential Buildings in Chicagoland

Author(s)
Choi Jayne,
Ludwig Peter,
Brand Larry
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy,
CNT Energy,
Elevate Energy
Publication Date
Report addressing barriers to information, contractor resources and cost savings associated with steam balancing multifamily buildings.

Strategy Guideline: Accurate Heating and Cooling Load Calculations

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report about the impact on the loads when common safety factors are applied to the load calculation process using two houses that meet the 2009 IECC prescriptive path modeled as the accurate baseline.

Strategy Guideline: Compact Air Distribution Systems

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
IBACOS
Publication Date
Document covering the pros and cons of compact air distribution systems and the decision criteria that must be considered early in the whole-house design process.

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.