Library

Webpage from U.S. Department of Energy describing 'cool roofs' and their usage for passive home cooling.

Web page providing information on the types of cool roofs and their benefits to consumers.

Tool developed by LBNL to calculate potential savings from increasing wall and roof solar reflectance.

Report on experiments comparing the cooling and heating seasonal and peak demand performance of different variable-capacity air conditioning and heat pump units.

Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of finished and unfinished metal roofing systems on cooling energy performance in a test facility.

Report providing recommendations to builders regarding how to reduce cooling loads, use air-circulation fans, natural ventilation, window and building design for natural ventilation, and whole-house fans.

Short report providing tips on how to reduce heat gain and passively cool a home.

Website providing information about the Cool Roof Rating Council including programs, membership, and resources for the construction industry.

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Source Energy and Carbon Decisions chapter helps users carefully assess the impacts of switching from gas to electricity for heating end-uses, using source energy and/or carbon emissions...

Article from Green Building Advisor on strategies to take when building homes to reduce the need for air conditioning, including insulation, windows, site selection, and roofing.

Technical report describing algorithms that use communicating thermostat heating data and that were developed to optimize customer adoption of energy conservation measures, enhancing the identification of retrofit opportunities, estimating post-retrofit energy savings, and enabling home-specific...

Report examining the use of smart thermostat data to detect performance degradation and optimize comfort control in home AC systems.

The main principle of smart ventilation used in this study is to shift ventilation from time periods with large indoor-outdoor temperature differences, to periods where these differences are smaller, and their energy impacts are expected to be less.

Online database with efficiency information about residential HVAC systems and commercial refrigeration equipment.

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.

Simple web-based tool allowing homeowners to calculate the potential savings from installing a cool roof.

Webpage describing the successes and ongoing efforts of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's Go Ductless ductless heat pump program which successfully encouraged the installation of more than 150,000 minisplit heat pumps in the Northwest between 2010 and 2021.

Webpage describing the advantages and disadvantages of ductless mini-split air conditioner.

Research report with results from field tests in two homes in Austin, Texas, from October 2011 to June 2012 to evaluate the comfort performance of ductless mini-split heat pumps

Webpage providing details of an experimental earth tube installation at the Clean Energy Exhibition in Georgia.

Article describing earthship homes.

Factsheet describing methods for securing HVAC units to avoid damage during an earthquake.

Bulletin describing the components of ECM motors and comparing their efficiency with PSC motors.

Report demonstrating how the initiative achieves Building America (BA) goals of 30%-50% energy savings in multifamily dwellings in the hot-humid climate zone.

Website that lists references that can help you determine how to control you indoor air quality while combating an emergency.

This study evaluates the energy, humidity and indoor air quality implications of residential ventilation cooling in all US IECC climate zones.

U.S. Code of Federal Regulations energy and water conservation standards for consumer products including home appliances and HVAC equipment.

Online textbook describing energy, including energy types, and energy use in homes.

Article from NAHB research center describing home building techniques for homes in hot climate zones.

Website with consumer information about residential heat pump systems.

Article by Energy Saver on how to save energy with your thermostat.

Online reference containing general information about geothermal heat pumps.

Report investigating performance and energy savings potential of heat pump water heaters.

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

Technical report evaluating the energy savings potential of radiative cooling technologies, particularly photonic 'selective emittance' materials.

Report from ENERGY STAR on HVAC design for homes.

Webpage recognizing the most efficient products among those that are ENERGY STAR certified.

Program criteria for central air conditioner and heat pump equipment.

Website for finding rebates and special offers near you on ENERGY STAR certified products. Products that earn the ENERGY STAR label meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. EPA helping you save energy and money while protecting the environment.

Factsheet describing mini split heat pumps and their benefits for consumers.

This report evaluates the performance of variable-capacity comfort systems, with a focus on inverter-driven, variable-capacity systems, as well as proposed system enhancements.

DOE-sponsored report describing the experimental setup and results of field studies on using interior cellular shading attachments to reduce solar heat gain in summer and reduce heat loss in winter.

DOE-sponsored report describing the experimental setup and results of field studies on using exterior fabric shading attachments to reduce solar heat gain, reduce glare, and improve comfort.

DOE-sponsored report describing a study investigating the energy savings potential of cellular shades in homes.

Technical report presenting the results of an evaluation of homes using high-efficiency mini-split heat pumps to supplement the primary heating and cooling systems.

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.

Report detailing the effects of replacing PSC motors with more efficient, variable-speed motors.

Report about an experimental evaluation conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

DOE-sponsored report describing a study investigating condensation buildup on windows when using insulating shades.

Webpage providing tips for installing and maintaining an evaporative cooler.