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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 - 35 of 35

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,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
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.

Air Leakage and Air Transfer Between Garage and Living Space

Author(s)
Rudd Armin
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
This report describes research conducted to evaluate air transfer between the garage and living space in a single-family detached home constructed to the 2009 IECC by a production home builder in Maryland.

Analysis of Pre-Retrofit Building and Utility Data

Author(s)
Prahl Duncan,
Beach Robert
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Publication Date
Report outlining workflow and results of regression models on monthly and daily utility data (meter readings of electricity consumption), outlining a process for screening and gathering useful results from inverse models.

Capillarity - Small Sacrifices, BSI-011

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Article describing correct ways to eliminate water damage by incorporating a sacrificial layer to foundation walls and footings.

Database of Low-e Storm Window Energy Performance across U.S. Climate Zones

Author(s)
Cort Katherine A,
Culp Thomas D
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Birch Point Consulting,
BPC
Publication Date
Research study evaluating energy savings and cost effectiveness of installing low-emissivity (low-e) storm windows over existing windows in residential homes in all climate zones.

Distribution and Room Air Mixing Risks to Retrofitted Homes

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
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 System Flammability and Air Sealing Fire Separation Assemblies in the International Residential Code

Author(s)
Prahl Duncan,
Rudd Armin
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
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...

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 Missed Energy Saving Opportunity - Based on Illinois Home Performance Program Field Data: Homeowner Selected Upgrades Versus Cost-Optimized Solutions

Author(s)
Milby M,
Baker Julie D,
Yee Shannon
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR
Publication Date
Study investigating homeowner measure package choices in the Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program compared to cost-optimal choices determined through Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) modeling software.

Evaluation of Ventilation Strategies in New Construction Multifamily Building

Author(s)
Maxwell Sean,
Berger David,
Zaluga M
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Technical report describing the evaluation of four different ventilation strategies for providing make-up air in high-performance, new construction multifamily buildings in the Northeast, emphasizing the challenges posed by increasing airtightness standards and the variability of system performance...

Evaluation of Ventilation Strategies in New Construction Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
Maxwell Sean,
Berger David,
Zuluaga Marc
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing research that helps inform best practices for air-sealing multifamily buildings in the Northeast.

Greenbuilt Retrofit Test House Final Report

Author(s)
Earle Lieko,
Tabares-Velasco Paulo Cesar,
Barker Greg M,
Hudon Kate,
Sparn Bethany,
Hancock C E
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Mountain Energy Partnership
Publication Date
Research report presenting results of short term tests on measures used in an energy efficiency retrofit project in California.

How Do Buildings Stack Up

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Article describing the impact of stack effect on building performance, highlighting how pressure differences caused by temperature and height affect air infiltration and exfiltration, and detailing strategies like compartmentalization and distributed mechanical systems to manage airflow and maintain...

Impact of Residential Mechanical Ventilation on Energy Cost and Humidity Control

Author(s)
Martin Eric
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Publication Date
The study described in this white paper is based on building energy modeling with an important focus on the indoor humidity impacts of ventilation.

Measure Guideline: Guidance on Taped Insulating Sheathing Drainage Planes

Author(s)
Grin Aaron,
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Measure Guideline research report providing simple, long term, and durable solutions when using tapes and flashing membranes in conjunction with the exterior face of rigid polymeric foam sheathing to create the drainage plane of a wall system.

Measure Guideline: Guide to Attic Air Sealing

Author(s)
Lstiburek Joseph W
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation
Publication Date
Guideline describing information and specifications relevant to air-seal existing attics.

Measure Guideline: Selecting Ventilation Systems for Existing Homes

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
This document addresses adding—or improving—mechanical ventilation systems to existing homes. The purpose of ventilation is to remove contaminants from homes either directly or by dilution. This report discusses where, when, and how much ventilation is appropriate in a home, including some...

Mini-Split Heat Pumps Multifamily Retrofit Feasibility Study

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Henderson Hugh,
Podorson David
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
This report investigates whether mini-split heat pumps can live up to their potential for one market segment: multifamily retrofits.

Professional Home Energy Assessments

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage from DOE describing how to conserve energy and save money with a home energy audit.

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.

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.

RESNET Guidelines for Multifamily Energy Ratings

Author(s)
RESNET
Organization(s)
Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET)
Publication Date
Webpage with guidance document detailing voluntary interim guidelines for conducting home energy ratings on multifamily residential buildings.

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.