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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 201 - 250 of 251

Residential Mechanical Precooling

Author(s)
German Alea,
Hoeschele Marc
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report evaluating mechanical AC precooling strategies in homes as a method for improving the load factor by shifting cooling operation from on-peak to off-peak hours.

Results of Laboratory Testing of Advanced Power Strips

Author(s)
Earle Lieko,
Sparn Bethany
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report summarizing the results of laboratory testing of 20 advanced power strip products.

Retrofit Techniques and Technologies: Air Sealing, Volume 10

Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
Gilbride Theresa L,
Hefty Marye G,
Cole Pam C,
Williamson Jennifer,
Love Pat M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report identifying the steps to take, with the help of a qualified home performance contractor, to seal unwanted air leaks while ensuring healthy levels of ventilation and avoiding sources of indoor air pollution.

Retrofitting America: A 1970s Home Energy Efficiency Analysis

Author(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
Steven Winter Associates
Organization(s)
CARB,
SWA
Publication Date
Report about a tool developed to enable users to compare a typical 1970s ranch home against an IECC 2009 code-compliant home of the same configuration and against the 70s base case plus retrofits.

Retrofitting Combined Space and Water Heating Systems: Laboratory Tests

Author(s)
Bohac Dave,
Schoenbauer Ben,
Hewett Martha,
Huelman Patrick H
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership,
NorthernSTAR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
University of Minnesota,
UMIN
Publication Date
Report presenting results of a laboratory experiment studying combi systems as a mode to eliminate safety issues associated with natural draft appliances.

Revisions to the SRCC Rating Process for Solar Water Heaters

Author(s)
Burch Jay,
Huggins Jim,
Long Steven,
Thornton Jeff
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Solar Rating & Certification Corporation,
SRCC,
Thermal Energy System Specialists,
TESS
Publication Date
Document discussing changes in testing the annual performance ratings for solar water heaters.

Side-by-Side Testing of Water Heating Systems: Results from 2009 - 2010 Evaluation

Author(s)
Colon Carlos J,
Parker Danny S
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report comparing the performance of seven differing types of residential water heating systems in a side-by-side test configuration over a full year period.

Solar Water Heaters

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website describing how solar water heaters -- also called solar domestic hot water systems -- can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water for your home.

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)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
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: Application of a Construction Quality Process to Existing Home Retrofits

Author(s)
Mallay David,
Del Bianco Marie
Organization(s)
Partnership for Home Innovation,
PHI,
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report following the evolution of the construction quality process from its development for new homes to its application construction of a HPH with enhanced specifications, and its application in a crawlspace renovation.

Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting

Author(s)
Holton James
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
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)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
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,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
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: Proper Water Heater Selection

Author(s)
Staller J,
Springer David,
German Alea,
Hoeschele Marc,
Zhang Y
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Davis Energy Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
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: Transitioning HVAC Companies to Whole House Performance Contractors

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing findings from research related to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) companies that have made the decision to transition to whole house performance contracting (WHPC).

Technology Fact Sheet: Weather-Resistive Barriers

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Brochure with information about how to select and install house wrap and other weather-resistive barriers.

Test Methods and Protocols for Environmental and Safety Hazards Associated with Home Energy Retrofits

Author(s)
Viner James E,
Pearce M,
Cautley Dan,
Lord M
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership,
NorthernSTAR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
University of Minnesota,
UMN,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report using data from various sources to characterize the impact on human health and property damage from indoor environmental quality and other hazards.

The Challenges of Basement Insulation

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Zuluaga Marc
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB
Publication Date
Article describing a research study exploring how effective interior insulation systems are at keeping basements dry and warm.

The Facts about Clothes Dryer Exhaust Systems

Author(s)
Cranor John
Organization(s)
American Society of Home Inspectors,
ASHI
Publication Date
Article outlining the importance of keeping dryer exhaust ducts clean.

The Next Step Toward Widespread Residential Deep Energy Retrofits

Author(s)
McIlvaine Janet E R,
Martin Eric,
Elam Laura,
Baden Steve,
Bordelon Ed,
Saunders Susan
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
TexEnergy Solutions,
Residential Energy Services Network,
RESNET
Publication Date
Report providing a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis inherent to different models as a way of thinking about the transition from traditional business models into a viable model for delivering deep energy retrofits.

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

Author(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Steven Winter Associates
Organization(s)
CARB,
NREL,
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 Retrofit Decision Tool

Author(s)
Gilbride Theresa L
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Fact sheet poster describing a DOE tool that walks homeowners through a series of simple questions to produce a list of retrofit recommendations to improve the energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and durability of the homeowners’ home, while also lowering their carbon footprint.

The Role of Appraisals in Energy Efficiency Financing

Author(s)
Doyle Victoria
Organization(s)
Building Industry Research Alliance,
BIRA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
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.

Thermostatic Radiator Valve Evaluation

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Ansanelli Eric
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Report on a project conducted to better understand the current usage of thermostatic radiator valves by key market players in steam and hot water heating and to conduct limited experiments on the effectiveness of new and old thermostatic radiator valves as a means of controlling space temperatures...

Towards Sustainability - Green Building, Sustainability Objectives, and Building America Whole House Systems Research, BA-0801

Author(s)
Lukachko Alex,
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report discussing Building America whole house systems research within the broad effort to reduce or eliminate the environmental impact of building and provides specific recommendations for future Building America research based on Building Science Corporations experience with several recent...

Types of Insulation

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Information sheet about types and installation of insulation.

Types of Lighting

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website with consumer information about various types of lighting.

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

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

Validation Study of Experimental Insulating and Air-Sealing Technology for Enclosed Roof Cavities

Author(s)
Lamm Douglas,
Bell Alexander
Organization(s)
Building Envelope Materials,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research report that validates Pinhole Insulation®, offering a cost-effective, minimally invasive solution for enhancing insulation and air sealing in enclosed roof cavities, improving R-value by 60% compared to traditional methods.

Variability in Measured Space Temperatures in 60 Homes

Author(s)
Roberts David,
Lay Kerylyn
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
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.

Ventilating Your Home

Author(s)
Puttagunta Srikanth
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Information sheet about proper ventilation and air sealing.

Ventilation System Effectiveness and Tested Indoor Air Quality Impacts

Author(s)
Rudd Armin,
Bergey Daniel
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
This report describes how twenty homes were tested and monitored in the Zone 2 climate of Houston, Texas, U.S.A., to evaluate the humidity control performance and operating cost of six different integrated dehumidification and ventilation systems that could be applied by production homebuilders.

Verification and Validation of EnergyPlus Conduction Finite Difference and Phase Change Material Models for Opaque Wall Assemblies

Author(s)
Tabares-Velasco Paulo Cesar,
Christensen Craig B,
Bianchi Marcus V A,
Booten Chuck
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report summarizing NRELs efforts to develop diagnostic test cases to conduct accurate energy simulations when phase change materials (PCMs) are modeled in residential buildings.

Verifying a Simplified Fuel Oil Field Measurement Protocol

Author(s)
Henderson Hugh,
Dentz Jordan
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study developed and verified a fuel oil flow field measurement protocol that is cost effective and can be performed with little training for use by the BB program as well as other weatherization programs and building science researchers.

Water Management of Non-Insulating and Insulating Sheathings - Final Report

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W,
Smegal Jonathan
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report summarizing current research, summarizes issues that have been experienced with current best practices, and recommends ways in which the best practices can be improved for water managing sheathings.

Weatherstripping

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing how weatherstripping can be an easy and cost-effective way to save money on energy costs and improve comfort by reducing drafts.

West Village Student Housing Phase I: Apartment Monitoring and Evaluation

Author(s)
German Alea,
Bell Colin W,
Dakin Bill,
Hoeschele Marc
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report assessing the performance and cost-effectiveness of a zero net energy community project in Davis, CA.