Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 103 results:

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Marine Climate, Volume 11

2010

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report providing builders in marine climates with guidance for building homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Mixed-Humid Climate, Volume 16

2011

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report describing measures that builders in mixed-humid climates can use to build homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

A Business Case for Home Performance Contracting

2012

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

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.

A Feasibility Study: Ductless Hydronic Distribution systems with Fan Coil Delivery

2012

Springer David,

Dakin Bill,

Backman Christine

Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,

ARBI,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Davis Energy Group

Research study estimating potential energy savings relative to conventional ducted air distribution, and identifying equipment requirements, costs, and barriers.

An In-Depth Look at Ground Source Heat Pumps and Other Electric Loads in Two GreenMax Homes

2012

Shapiro Carl,

Puttagunta Srikanth

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report about two test home evaluations that provided valuable data about the true in-field performance of various building mechanical systems and LAMELs.

Approaching "Zero Energy" in the Pacific Northwest Marine Climate

2009

Fuess Chris,

Gordon Andrew,

Lubliner Michael

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Report about a building project in the marine climate.

Bay Ridge Gardens - Mixed Humid Affordable Multifamily Housing Deep Energy Retrofit

2013

Lyons James,

Moore Mike,

Thompson Margo

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,

BA-PIRC,

Newport Ventures,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report summarizing commissioning, short-term testing, utility bill data analysis, and results of on-site monitoring of a deep energy retrofit.

BSC Information - Supplemental Humidity Control for Hot-Humid Climates, Sheet 620

2009

Building Science Corporation

BSC

Information sheet offering general recommendations on supplemental humidity control and outlines viable system configurations.

Builders Challenge Quality Criteria Support Document

2010

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Document providing guidance to U.S. home builders who want to accept the challenge.

Building America Best Practices Series - 40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Cold and Very Cold Climates, Volume 12

2011

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Guide describing measures that builders in the cold and very cold climates can take to build homes that have whole-house energy savings of 40% over the Building America benchmark with no added overall costs for consumers.

Building America House Simulation Protocols - Revised October 2010

2010

Hendron Robert,

Engebrecht Cheryn

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report summarizing the guidelines for developing and reporting analytical results in a consistent and meaningful manner for all home energy uses.

Building America Performance Analysis Procedures, Revision 1

2004

Hendron Robert,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Partnership for Resource Conservation,

Mountain Energy Partnership,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Document illustrating some analysis concepts that are proven to be effective and reliable in analyzing the transient energy usage of advanced energy systems as well as of entire houses.

Building Science Corporation (BSC) Building America Quality Control Checklist, GM-0802

2008

Building Science Corporation

BSC

Document with the Quality Control Checklist developed as both a guide to assist in the transition to high performance home building, and as a simplified tool to be used as part of any builder's on-site quality control procedures.

Building Science Education: Heat Pump Water Heater Training Module

2024

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Training module describing the operation, efficiency, consumer and seller benefits, and cost comparison of Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH) against conventional gas, oil, or electric water heaters.

Byggmeister Test Home: Analysis and Initial Results of Cold Climate Wood-Framed Home Retrofit

2013

Gates Cathy

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report describing a deep energy retrofit project for a two-family wood framed home located in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Central Heat Pump Water Heater Design Guide

2023

Ecotope

Energy Trust of Oregon

Design guide providing solutions and tools for designing central heat pump water heater systems in multifamily and other commercial buildings.

Challenges and Opportunities To Achieve 50% Energy Savings in Homes: National Laboratory White Papers

2011

Bianchi Marcus V A

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report summarizing the key opportunities, gaps, and barriers identified by the national laboratory white papers discussing long-term 50% energy reduction goals.

Comparison of Home Retrofit Programs in Wisconsin

2013

Cunningham Kerrie,

Hannigan Eileen

University of Minnesota,

UMN,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

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.

Comparison of the ENERGYGAUGE USA and BEopt Building Energy Simulation Programs

2009

Parker Danny S,

Cummings Jamie E

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Two hourly energy simulation software, BEopt and Energy Gauge USA, were compared to ensure accuracy and evaluate agreement on the impact of various energy efficiency improvements.

Cooling and Heating Season Impacts of Right-Sizing of Fixed- and Variable-Capacity Heat Pumps With Attic and Indoor Ductwork

2015

Cummings James B,

Withers Charles R,

Kono Jamie E

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,

BA-PIRC

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

Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Guidance document on deep energy retrofits.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Design and Construction Process

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Design and Construction Process chapter provides detailed guidance for each process phase: pre-planning, planning, construction, test-out and post-occupancy.

Deep Energy Retrofits - Lessons learned

2015

Less Brennan,

Walker Iain S

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Part of a larger LBNL report (Deep Energy Retrofit Guidance for the Building America Solutions Center), the Lessons Learned chapter focuses on successful deep energy retrofit projects throughout the U.S.

Deep in Data: Empirical Data Based Software Accuracy Testing Using the Building America Field Data Repository

2013

Neymark Joel,

Roberts David

J. Neymark & Associates,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report describing the progress toward and issues related to developing a usable, standardized, empirical data-based software accuracy test suite.

Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump Comfort Evaluation

2013

Roth Kurt,

Sehgal N,

Akers Craig

Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,

Fraunhofer CSE,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

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

Efficient Multifamily Homes in a Hot Humid Climate by Atlantic Housing Partners

2013

Chasar Dave,

Martin Eric

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,

BA-PIRC,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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

Electric Energy Management in the Smart Home: Perspectives on Enabling Technologies and Consumer Behavior

2013

Zipperer Adam,

et al.

Colorado State University,

CSU,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

University of Technology of Belfort-Montbeliard,

UTBM,

Fort Collins Utilities

Journal article presenting a discussion of the state-of-the- art in electricity management in smart homes, the various enabling technologies that will accelerate this concept, and topics around consumer behavior with respect to energy usage.

Energy Performance Techniques and Technologies: Preserving Historic Homes, Volume 13

2011

Britt Michelle,

et al.

Kaufman Heritage Conservation,

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Document providing a resource to help contractors renovate historic houses, while addressing issues such as building durability, indoor air quality, and occupant health, safety, and comfort.

Energy Savings and Breakeven Costs for Residential Heat Pump Water Heaters in the United States

2013

Maguire Jeff,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

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

Energy Savings and Peak Demand Reduction of a SEER 21 Heat Pump vs. a SEER 13 Heat Pump with Attic and Indoor Duct Systems

2014

Cummings James B,

Withers Charles R

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,

BA-PIRC,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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.

Evaluating Moisture Control of Variable-Capacity Heat Pumps in Mechanically Ventilated, Low-Load Homes in Climate Zone 2A

2018

Martin Eric,

et al.

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,

BA-PIRC,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

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.

Evaluation of Unitary Heat Pump Water Heaters with Load-Shifting Controls in a Shared Multifamily Configuration

2022

Hoeschele Marc,

Haile James,

Grant Peter

Pacific Gas and Electric Company,

PG&E,

Energy Transition Coordinating Council,

ETCC

Report describing the performance, cost, and carbon impacts of unitary heat pump water heaters with load-shifting controls in a shared configuration for a multi-family project, highlighting significant savings in energy usage, CO2 emissions, and utility costs.

Expert Meeting Report: Key Innovations for Adding Energy Efficiency to Maintenance Projects

2012

Wiehagen Joseph,

Wood Amber

NAHB Research Center,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Expert meeting describing meeting details for key innovations for adding energy efficiency upgrades to maintenance projects.

Exploring Cost-Effective High Performance Residential Retrofits for Affordable Housing in the Hot Humid Climate

2010

McIlvaine Janet,

et al.

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC,

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

Report presenting the process of a residential retrofit project for houses in the states of Florida and Alabama, including findings at the time of reporting and highlights of the first home to meet the target HERS Index of 70.

Field Assessment of Energy Audit Tools for Retrofit Programs

2013

Bohac Dave,

et al.

NorthernSTAR,

University of Minnesota,

UMN

Report describing a project focused on the use of home energy ratings as a tool to promote energy retrofits in existing homes.

Field Monitoring Protocol: Mini-Split Heat Pumps

2011

Christensen Dane,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Mountain Energy Partnership,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Information sheet with an analysis of mini split heat pump systems.

Field Performance of Inverter-Driven Heat Pumps in Cold Climates

2015

Williamson Jim,

Aldrich Robb

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA

Report on field monitoring of inverter-driven ASHPs in cold-climate homes.

Fort Benning Indianhead Townhome Renovations

2012

Stephenson R,

et al.

NAHB Research Center,

Home Innovation Research Labs,

HIRL,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Southface Energy Institute,

SEI

Report outlining the energy upgrade package implemented in Ft. Benning, GA, Indianhead Townhomes project and the findings of the Southface Energy Institute's post-renovation analysis.

Greenbelt Homes Pilot Energy Efficiency Programs Phase 1 Summary: Existing Conditions and Baseline Energy Use

2013

Wiehagen Joseph,

Del Bianco Marie,

Wood Amber

NAHB Research Center,

Home Innovation Research Labs,

HIRL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report detailing field walk-through evaluations, energy simulations for projected savings with exterior insulation upgrades, building envelope energy improvement cost estimates, and installation and maintenance of monitoring equipment and data.

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

2013

Mittereder Nick,

Poerschke Andrew

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

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

Ground Source Integrated Heat Pump for Near Zero Energy Houses: Technology Status Report.

2024

Murphy Richard W,

et al.

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Report describing the ground-source IHP (GS-IHP) design and includes the lessons learned and best practices revealed by the research and development (R&D) effort throughout.

Healthy and Affordable Housing: Practical Recommendations for Building, Renovating and Maintaining Housing

2001

Brennan Terry,

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Document providing guidance about building healthy homes using building science principles.

Heat Pump Retrofit Strategies for Multifamily Buildings

2019

Steven Winter Associates,

Natural Resources Defense Council

SWA,

NRDC

Report describing the various heat pump retrofit options for multifamily buildings in the U.S., segmented by building typology and heating system, to support better environmental, economic, and health outcomes.

Heat Pump Water Heater Guide - Best Practices and Technical Considerations for Single-Family New Construction

2024

ENERGY STAR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

DOE,

EPA

Informational guide describing the design, installation, and maintenance best practices and technical considerations for integrated Heat Pump Water Heaters in single-family and multifamily new construction.

Heat Pump Water Heater Model Validation Study

2015

Ecotope,

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Ecotope,

NEEA

Report describing the significant potential for energy use reductions through heat pump water heaters, which have been a crucial part of Northwest power plans for decades and have recently achieved substantial savings with new integrated models and climate specifications.

Heat Pump Water Heating Modeling in EnergyPlus - Building America Residential Energy Efficiency Stakeholder Meeting

2012

Wilson Eric,

Christensen Craig B

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Presentation about heat pump water heater modeling using EnergyPlus.

Home Energy Displays: Consumer Adoption and Response

2012

LaMarche Janelle,

et al.

Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,

Fraunhofer CSE,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Research study investigating the factors influencing consumer adoption of HEDs and evaluating the resulting electricity consumption.

Improved Modeling of Residential Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps for Energy Calculations

2013

Cutler Dylan,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

University of Colorado,

Report presenting improved air conditioner (AC) and heat pump (HP) modeling methods in the context of whole-building simulation tools.

Improving Air-Conditioner and Heat Pump Modeling

2012

Winkler Jon

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Presentation on Improving Air-Conditioner and Heat Pump Modeling.

Interaction between Heat Pump Water Heaters or Other Internal Point Source Loads and a Central Heating System

2017

Widder Sarah H,

et al.

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,

NEEA,

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL

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.