Library

Presentation on Improving Air-Conditioner and Heat Pump Modeling.

Guide detailing best practices on how to build wall assemblies with absorptive claddings such as brick, stone that drain and dry well.

Report describing the performance, economics, space heating impacts, and user satisfaction of heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) in the upper Midwest, based on a field study and survey of participants in the MECA HPWH incentive program.

Factsheet describing techniques for installing ductless heat pumps in cold climate locations.

Report describing the objective evaluation of space conditioning interactions between heat pump water heaters and home heating systems during winter 2016-2017, revealing a smaller than anticipated impact on space conditioning loads.

Article describing walls and moisture development on them.

Report on performance of current diagnostics as well as a draft test method for use in future air flow evaluations.

Guidance on performance of current diagnostics as well as a draft test method for use in future air flow evaluations.

Report presenting lab evaluation of five heat pump water heaters available in the US market today.

Report proposing mini-split heat pumps as a new retrofit option to replace resistance heating in the Pacific Northwest.

Report describing research conducted to support California’s Title 24, Part 6 Building Energy Efficiency Standards by analyzing the impact of installation location and ventilation on heat pump water heater (HPWH) performance, emphasizing the need for proper installation to maximize efficiency...

Web article describing two options for sizing ductless minisplit heat pumps, including a free HVAC sizing tool.

Report on the long-term performance of mini-split heat pumps.

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.

Webpage featuring hundreds of illustrations of masonry construction details for brick, congrete, stone, tile, stucco, etc.

Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.

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.

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

This report investigates whether mini-split heat pumps can live up to their potential for one market segment: multifamily retrofits.

Fact sheet describing how typical wall moisture barrier systems work, the moisture barrier system and common problems associated with them; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Article describing how moisture accumulates inside of structures and issues that result.

Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

Practical guide describing the management of moisture during a building's design, construction and maintenance.

EPA guidance document providing information on moisture control in buildings.

Article discussing moisture control in buildings as well as building design and construction strategies for keeping buildings dry and allowing buildings to dry out if they do get wet.

The next generation of building enclosures is a key step toward achieving high-performance goals through decreasing energy load demand and enabling advanced space-conditioning systems. Yet the adoption of high-R enclosures and particularly high-R walls has been a slow-growing trend because...

Website providing guidance about mold and moisture for homes, schools, multifamily and commercial buildings.

Online course providing an overview of mold prevention and mold remediation.

Report on a study monitoring moisture conditions of double-stud wall assemblies with different insulation in Devens, Massachusetts.

Article describing mulch requirements and benefits.

Study in which a central heat pump water heater system was monitored in detail and used to create a model for assessing similar systems in various climates.

Database compiling extended capacity data for numerous cold climate heat pump manufacturers and models.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

Document on the development of two simple in-home efficiency test methods that can be used by technicians, researchers, or interested homeowners to verify the correct operation and energy efficiency of a homes air conditioning and heating equipment.

Report describing the key findings from the first third-party field validation of 120-volt heat pump water heater (HPWH) technology, addressing the significant barriers to their adoption and emphasizing their potential role in reducing carbon emissions from residential water heating.

Report describing a laboratory assessment on the performance of Rheem 120-volt heat pump water heaters (HPWH), aimed at identifying optimal installation locations for these new "plug-in" models based on comprehensive testing under various conditions.

Fact sheet from Wisconsin Focus on Energy explaining how to prevent future ice dams on homes by learning about their formation and mitigation of contributing factors.

List of recommendations from IBHS on how to protect homes from ice dam formation.

An example of a form a building codes department created to ensure builders are fully aware and have taken steps to provide drainage so that water doesn’t accumulate behind siding. This example is from the city of Newberg, Oregon.

Article describing moisture and ice dam issues in attics and how to air seal the attic floor.

Fact sheet describing best practices in installing leak-free refrigerant systems, including specifics on creating flare joints and brazed joints, pressure testing, vacuum testing, and charging the system with refrigerant.

Report describing information from DOE about rules and standards for residential air conditioners and heat pumps.

Webpage describing a DOE Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge. The challenge engages industry partners and focuses around the Cold Climate Heat Pumps, a more environmental and efficient heating alternative to traditional heating.

Paper covering a parametric study of foundation heat exchanger-based ground source heat pump systems for several house configurations in a range of European locations, with an emphasis on determining feasible combinations.

Report discussing instrumentation methods and field operation characteristics of two GSHPs in test houses, including a comparison between the manufacturers listed COP values and the COPs calculated from field data.

Fact sheet describing methods for flashing and air-sealing windows and doors.

This project analyzed combined condensing water heaters or boilers and hydronic air coils to provide high efficiency domestic hot water (DHW) and forced air space heating. Called "combi" systems, they provided similar space and water heating performance less expensively than installing two...

Article explaining the energy cost reduction and other benefits associated with installing a heat pump clothes dryer

Report from FEMA describing techniques for floodproofing structures.

Technical study exploring the impact of different installation faults on heat pump performance in a single-family house.