Organization(s)
American Lung Association
Publication Date
Description
Document outlining important factors for homeowners to be aware of regarding healthy air in homes.
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 94
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2009 edition of code establishing a baseline for existing building retrofits to reach appropriate safety levels under new construction requirements covered in other ICC codes.
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2009 edition of code establishing regulations involving life and property safety from fires and explosion hazards, including emergency planning, fire department access and water supply, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and hazardous materials planning and storage.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
NAHB Research Center,
Home Innovation Research Labs
Publication Date
Description
Report assessing the energy performance of the 2011 EVHA winners and to align the EVHA program with the BA program.
Organization(s)
Earth Advantage
Publication Date
Description
A guide about the above code residential home certification called Earth Advantage and required and optional measures available to meet the point requirements for certification.
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2012 edition of code establishing a baseline for energy efficiency by setting performance standards for the building envelope (defined as the boundary that separates heated/cooled air from unconditioned, outside air), mechanical systems, lighting systems and service water heating systems in homes...
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Description
2012 edition of code for residential buildings that creates minimum regulations for one- and two-family dwellings of three stories or less, bringing together all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for one- and two-family residences.
Organization(s)
IAPMO
Publication Date
Description
Code set from IAPMO explaining plumbing standards. 2012 Publication.
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Description
Report discussing opportunities and trends in the U.S. home performance contracting industry, along with market drivers such as consumer demand; federal, state, and local programs; and utility and non-governmental programs.
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.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Thermal Energy System Specialists,
TESS
Publication Date
Description
Document outlining the current and the proposed draws and estimates typical ratings changes from draw specification changes for typical systems in four cities.
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Description
Research study identifying common air leakage pathways in one type of low-rise multifamily building common in mixed-humid climates.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report assessing the accuracy of HEST as it was being developed and to provide information useful to DOE program managers and HEST development team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
Document providing descriptions of the many insulation options available to homeowners, along with guidance on where, when, and how to install insulation throughout your house.
Organization(s)
Advanced Energy
Publication Date
Description
Guide about designing and installing closed crawlspaces in the Southeast.
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.
Organization(s)
Portland Cement Association
Publication Date
Description
Document discussing moisture considerations and testing techniques for concrete floors.
Organization(s)
Portland Cement Association
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet discussing the properties and benefits of insulating concrete forms.
Organization(s)
ICF Builder
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet disucssing myths about insulated concrete forms.
Organization(s)
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Research study examining the opportunities for cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits in residential archetypes constructed before 1980 (Pre-Code) in 14 U.S. cities.
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Report identifying business models for the remodeling industry that foster remodelers adoption of energy efficiency services.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Research study analyzing the effects a nonlinear enthalpy profile has on thermal performance and expected energy benefits for PCM-enhanced insulation.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing CARB's analysis of Boulder, Colorado's SmartRegs ordinance in the existing home market.
Organization(s)
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Description
Report about the Advanced Envelope Research effort will provide factory homebuilders with urgently-needed, cost effective methods for meeting emerging energy code requirements.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Expert Meeting about interior insulation retrofit of mass masonry wall assemblies held on July 30, 2011.
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Expert meeting describing meeting details for key innovations for adding energy efficiency upgrades to maintenance projects.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Expert meeting describing meeting details for recommendations for applying water heaters in combination space and domestic water heating systems.
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet about what length screws should be used, and how closely to space the screws when fastening furring strips to a foam-sheathed wall.
Organization(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE,
Oklahoma State University,
OSU,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
Study characterizing how foundation heat exchangers (FHXs) used in residential ground source heat pump systems represent a potential cost savings due to their lesser first cost over other types of heat exchangers.
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,
Fraunhofer CSE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Research study evaluating a low-cost and scalable way to reduce heating energy consumption using the energy-saving features of programmable thermostats (i.e., automatic daytime and nighttime setbacks).
Organization(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Description
Article describing methods to manage moisture, rainwater, and vapor in basements and crawlspaces.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Journal article describing lessons learned from updating a 16-year-old deep-energy retrofit.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Presentation about heat pump water heater modeling using EnergyPlus.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report covering control of hydrostatic pressure in wall assemblies.
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,
Fraunhofer CSE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Research study investigating the factors influencing consumer adoption of HEDs and evaluating the resulting electricity consumption.
Organization(s)
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Description
Report on a project that enhanced the HWSIM distribution system model to more accurately model pipe heat transfer.
Organization(s)
BEEHA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Report detailing an evaluation of Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) residential energy efficiency demand side management (DSM) programs to assess their impacts and relative measures of energy and economic performance.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Presentation on Improving Air-Conditioner and Heat Pump Modeling.
Organization(s)
Western Cooling Efficiency Center - UC Davis,
BIRA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Research study to help development of an application protocol for aerosol sealing of building shells that will eventually be demonstrated on buildings in retrofit and new construction.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Report focusing on managing the driving forces that move air and water vapor across the building envelope.
Organization(s)
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Document providing an understanding of the importance of the different types of multifamily building attics and their unique challenges, and outlines strategies and materials used in air sealing them.
Organization(s)
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Document covering two fundamental retrofit strategies for air sealing around air handling systems that are located within the living space in an enclosed closet.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Document describing good practices for insulating basements in new and existing homes.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Document pertaining to design and application guidance for combination space and tankless domestic hot water heating systems used in residential buildings, based on field evaluation, testing, and industry meetings.
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership,
NorthernSTAR,
University of Minnesota,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Document describing a process to help builders, homeowners, and designers select energy-efficient windows for new and existing residential construction in all U.S. climate zones.
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Description
Report about evaporative condensers, to provide information on a cost-effective solution for energy and demand savings in homes with cooling loads.
Organization(s)
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet providing information on installing Rigid XPS foam board insulation to existing brick masonry walls.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date
Description
Report summarizing the importance of properly insulating and air sealing masonry walls, providing step by step instructions and approaches.