Library | Building America Solution Center

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 - 23 of 23

Conway Street Apartments: A Multifamily Deep Energy Retrofit

Author(s)

Aldrich Robb,

Williamson Jim

Organization(s)

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB

Publication Date

November, 2014

Research report anayzing the results of a large retrofit project, turining an old school into near zero energy consumption apartments in Greenfield MA.

Evaluation of Early Performance Results for Massachusetts Homes in the National Grid Pilot Deep Energy Retrofit Programs

Author(s)

Gates Cathy,

Neuhauser Ken

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

November, 2013

Report summarizing post-retrofit results for 13 existing homes in a deep energy retrofit pilot program.

Ground Source Heat Pump Sub-Slab Heat Exchange Loop Performance in a Cold Climate

Author(s)

Mittereder Nick,

Poerschke Andrew

Organization(s)

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

November, 2013

Report presenting a cold climate project examining and alternative approach to ground source heat pump ground loop design.

Measured Performance of a Low Temperature Air Source Heat Pump

Author(s)

Johnson R K

Organization(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

September, 2013

Research study outlining results of monitoring a low temperature heat pump.

Evaluation of CNT Energy Savers Retrofit Packages Implemented in Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)

Farley Jene,

Ruch Russell

Organization(s)

Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,

PARR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

September, 2013

Report exploring feasibility of designing prescriptive retrofit measure packages for typical Chicago region multifamily buildings in order to achieve 25% source energy savings.

Fort Devens: Cold Climate, Energy-Efficient, Market-Rate Townhomes

Author(s)

Zoeller William,

Grab Joanna,

Slattery Matt

Organization(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

August, 2013

Report about development of effective strategies to reduce the overall building energy use in line with Building America goals in this modestly priced market rate project.

Energy Savings From System Efficiency Improvements in Iowa's HVAC SAVE Program

Author(s)

Baker Julie D,

Brand Larry,

Wells J,

Yee Shannon

Organization(s)

Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,

PARR,

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,

MEEA,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

August, 2013

Report using pre- and post-system upgrade data to analyze the energy savings associated with Iowa's HVAC SAVE program for space heating.

Steam System Balancing and Tuning for Multifamily Residential Buildings in Chicagoland - Second Year of Data Collection

Author(s)

Choi Jayne,

Ludwig Peter,

Brand Larry

Organization(s)

Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,

PARR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

August, 2013

Report about results of 10 test buildings in Chicago, studied to identify best practices for methodology, typical costs, and energy savings associated with steam system balancing.

Moisture Research - Optimizing Wall Assemblies

Author(s)

Arena Lois,

Mantha Pallavi

Organization(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

May, 2013

Report describing evaluation of several configurations of wall assemblies to determine the accuracy of moisture modeling and make recommendations to ensure durable, efficient assemblies.

Cold Climate Foundation Retrofit Energy Savings: The Simulated Energy and Experimental Hygrothermal Performance of Cold Climate Foundation Wall Insulation Retrofit Measures - Phase I, Energy Simulation

Author(s)

Goldberg Louise F,

Steigauf Brianna

Organization(s)

NothernSTAR,

University of Minnesota,

UMN,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

April, 2013

Research study describing an experimental and theoretical investigation of the energy and hygrothermal performance of retrofit foundation insulation systems in climate zones 6 and 7.

Strategy Guideline: Energy Retrofits for Low-Rise Multifamily Buildings in Cold Climates

Author(s)

Brozyna Kevin,

Badger Leslie

Organization(s)

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

Vermont Energy Investment Corporation,

VEIC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

April, 2013

Document explaining the benefits of evaluating and identifying energy efficiency retrofit measures that could be made during renovation and maintenance of multifamily buildings.

Assessing Foundation Insulation Strategies for the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code in Cold Climate New Home Construction

Author(s)

Mosiman Garrett,

Ojczyk Cindy,

VonThoma Ed

Organization(s)

University of Minnesota,

UMN,

NothernSTAR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

April, 2013

Report focused on foundation insulation R-values for cold climates and the design, construction, and performance implications.

Comparison of Home Retrofit Programs in Wisconsin

Author(s)

Cunningham Kerrie,

Hannigan Eileen

Organization(s)

University of Minnesota,

UMN,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

March, 2013

Research study comparing various retrofit models in Wisconsin to evaluate performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost effectiveness of each program design.

Byggmeister Test Home: Cold Climate Multifamily Masonry Building Condition Assessment and Retrofit Analysis

Author(s)

Gates Cathy

Organization(s)

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

January, 2013

Report describing findings from a multifamily test home focusing on the combination of energy measures that are feasible, affordable and suitable for multifamily construction in cold climates.

Comfort, Indoor Air Quality, and Energy Consumption in Low Energy Homes

Author(s)

Tiefenbeck Verena,

Roth Kurt,

Engelmann P

Organization(s)

Fraunhofer CSE,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

January, 2013

Report documenting the results of an in-depth evaluation of thermal comfort for two potential net zero-energy homes (NZEHs) in Massachusetts.

Survey of Whole House Programs in Midwestern Climates

Author(s)

McGeough U,

Baker Will,

Peters J,

Beitel Annette

Organization(s)

Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,

PARR,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

November, 2012

Research study making several recommendations to whole-home program designers and implementers for improving the cost effectiveness and reach of whole-home programs.

Evaluation of Northern Illinois Residential Retrofit Delivery Practices

Author(s)

Brand Larry,

Kerr Ryan,

Rowley Patricia

Organization(s)

Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,

PARR,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Gas Technology Institute,

GTI Energy,

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,

MEEA,

CNT Energy,

Elevate Energy,

Future Energy Enterprises,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

October, 2012

Document reviewing four cold-climate northern Illinois energy efficiency retrofit programs to identify practices, tools, and approaches to streamline and reduce costs of comprehensive retrofits, and to improve the consistency of audit and retrofit delivery practices across different programs.

Long-Term Results from Evaluation of Advanced New Construction Packages in Test Homes: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Author(s)

Stecher Dave,

Allison Katherine,

Prahl Duncan

Organization(s)

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

October, 2012

Report presenting a cold climate project that examines the relationships among energy efficient single-family residential thermal enclosures, room-to-room temperature variations, and simplified space conditioning systems.

Measure Guideline: Ventilation Cooling

Author(s)

Springer David,

Dakin Bill,

German Alea

Organization(s)

Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,

ARBI,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Davis Energy Group,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

April, 2012

Guide describing proper application, design, and installation of mechanical ventilation cooling systems for homes located in hot-dry and cold-dry climates, as well as a means of understanding the benefits, costs, and tradeoffs of these systems.

Expert Meeting Report: Achieving the Best Installed Performance from High-Efficiency Residential Gas Furnaces

Author(s)

Brand Larry

Organization(s)

Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,

PARR,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Gas Technology Institute,

GTI Energy,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

March, 2012

Expert meeting identifying installation practices that provide the best installed efficiency for residential gas furnaces, explain how AFUE and field efficiency can differ, and investigate the impact of installation practices on the efficiency and long-term durability of the furnace.

Leveraging Limited Scope for Maximum Benefit in Occupied Renovation of Uninsulated Cold Climate Multifamily Housing

Author(s)

Neuhauser Ken,

Bergey Daniel,

Osser Rosie

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

March, 2012

Report examining performance measures in the context of a large-scale renovation project.

Practical Residential Wall Systems: R-30 and Beyond

Author(s)

Aldrich Robb,

Arena Lois,

Zoeller William

Organization(s)

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

March, 2010

Document with information about the most practical methods to achieve whole-wall performance of R-30 or above.

Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in the Cold and Very Cold Climates, Volume 3

Author(s)

Baechler Michael C,

Taylor Z Todd,

Bartlett Rosemarie,

Gilbride Theresa L,

Hefty Marye G,

Steward Heidi,

Love Pat M

Organization(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

August, 2005

Document providing a resource to help builders large and small build high-quality, energy-efficient homes that achieve 30% energy savings in space conditioning and water heating in the cold and very cold climates.