Library

Report describing findings from research related to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) companies that have made the decision to transition to whole house performance contracting (WHPC).

Article describing suggested food supplies, sanitation, safety, and cooking for during and after an emergency.

This document covers a description of the need and applied solutions for supplemental dehumidification in warm-humid climates, especially for energy efficient homes where the sensible cooling load has been dramatically reduced.

Question and Answer article in Energy Design Update describing the cost and savings benefits of electronically commutated motors (ECMs) for HVAC equipment.

Report providing performance results of a home's heat pump water heater and whole-house dehumidifier over a six-month period.

The Technician's Guide equips practitioners with the knowledge to properly implement all of the measurement procedures required in the HVAC QI Specification.

This guide and workbook offers practitioners with the knowledge to properly implement the measurement and documentation procedures required in the ANSI/ACCA 5.

Standard providing industry-backed information for assessing new and existing HVAC systems, evaluating and verifying the cleanliness of HVAC system components, preventing job related hazards and guiding the cleaning and restoration of HVAC systems to a specific level of cleanliness.

Paper that illustrates a performance check between the thermal performance of a Massive Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) wall system mocked up and Whole Building Performance criteria such as total space heating and cooling loads (thermal comfort).

Article about installing balanced ventilation systems.

Standard 55 specifies conditions for acceptable thermal environments and is intended for use in design, operation, and commissioning of buildings and other occupied spaces; is the current version of the standard, which was published in the year 2021, and is available for preview and purchase at the...

Guide from Energy Star on smart thermostats and offering some guidance for choosing one.

This report describes the results of a multiyear research project that investigated the energy savings attributable to thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) installed on one-pipe steam distribution systems.

Report on a project conducted to better understand the current usage of thermostatic radiator valves by key market players in steam and hot water heating and to conduct limited experiments on the effectiveness of new and old thermostatic radiator valves as a means of controlling space temperatures...

Webpage describing methods to save energy at home, including turning down your water heater set point, scheduling your HVAC system, adding or fixing weatherstripping, and changing HVAC system filters, among other tips.

Brochure describing HVAC filter options for efficiency and IAQ.

Information sheet describing transfer ducts and grilles for HVAC.

Report about partnership to build three communities of net zero houses.

Presentation report detailing Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) interaction with space conditioning systems in real-life test scenarios that explains some of the problems arising from these interaction and information that can be used to make the system more efficient.

NAFA’s user guide for understanding ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 52.2-2012.

Users guide to help contractors and homeowners use the Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing Support Tools developed by NEEP to size and select the best air source heat pumps for their cold climate location.

Report discussing the measured variability in indoor space temperatures in a set of 60 homes located in Florida, New York, Oregon, and Washington.

Fact sheet describing the results of an analysis of humidity control and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system efficiency in three new multifamily buildings in New York, NY.

Report describing the formation of icicles and ice dams along poorly ventilated roofs and how to mitigate ventilation issues with insulation and vents.

Information sheet about proper ventilation and air sealing.

Standard that defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. This version of the standard was published in the year 2010, and is available for...

Standard that defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. This version of the standard was published in the year 2013, and is available for...

Standard that provides procedures and methods for meeting minimum ventilation and indoor air quality requirements to engineers, design professionals, owners, and jurisdictional authorities where model codes have been adopted. This is the current version of the standard, which was published in the...

Report describing the use of attic ventilation to control moisture in cathedral roofs and avoid the formation of ice dams.

Report summarizing NRELs efforts to develop diagnostic test cases to conduct accurate energy simulations when phase change materials (PCMs) are modeled in residential buildings.

Report describing concentrations of 54 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ventilation rates that were measured in four new manufactured houses over 2 - 9.5 months following installation and in seven new site built houses 1 - 2 months after completion.

Report describing a field study of 31 homes to test envelope and duct leakage and fan flowrates, and to determine ventilation operation characteristics.

Web page providing statistics on weather related fatalities and injuries.

Webinar presenting best practices in HVAC design and commissioning

EPA coronavirus Q&A discussing the role of HVAC filters in dealing with COVID-19.

Factsheet describing the importance of system charging, superheat and subcooling.

Article discussing the risks that can occur from undercutting bedroom doors to provide return airflow from bedrooms, as well as corrective measures that can be taken to address these risks.

Conference paper presented at the 2020 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings presenting the results of an evaluation of control strategies used when new mini-splits are installed in a home with an existing HVAC system.

Brochure about how to install and use a whole-house fan.

Report summarizing results from a case study about whole-house mechanical ventilation systems in Chicago.

Document about proper HVAC system sizing.

Conference paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Thermal Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings describing moisture from basements and crawlspaces as a source of indoor humidity and providing recommendations for finishing below-grade spaces to limit potential indoor...

Report outlining the features of a test house built in Silver Spring , Maryland, and discussing the implementation of the energy efficient design, and reports on the short-term testing results.

Article describing sustainable community development of near zero energy homes in Greenfield, Massachusetts.