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Library

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 - 50 of 316

Better Ventilation – Solutions for Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
BE-Ex
Organization(s)
Building Energy Exchange
Publication Date
Article describing the common ventilation system types, issues, and solutions in New York City's multifamily residential buildings to improve indoor air quality, occupant health, and building durability.

ACCA Approved Software

Author(s)
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Webpage listing ACCA Manual J and D calculation software that is approved by ACCA.

HUD 2024 Housing Innovation Showcase Poster: Why Heat Pumps?

Author(s)
Edward Louie,
Theresa Gilbride
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Publication Date
Factsheet outlining the advantages of using heat pumps, which are an efficient way to heat and cool a home.

Smart Tools for Efficient HVAC Performance Campaign

Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Webpage describing the STEP campaign encouraging the use of smart diagnostic tools to reduce installation faults.

EPA Clean Air Act Section 608: Stationary Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
U.S. EPA
Publication Date
Section 608 establishes EPA’s National Recycling and Emission Reduction Program designed to reduce emissions related to maintaining, servicing, repairing, and disposing of air conditioning or refrigeration equipment.

Hot Water Solutions

Author(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Organization(s)
NEEA
Publication Date
Website for consumers describing heat pump water heater technology and linking to retailers and installers.

Development and Validation of Home Comfort System for Total Performance Deficiency/ Fault Detection and Optimal Comfort Control

Author(s)
Jiang Yilin,
Wang Junke,
Song Li,
Tang Choon Yik,
Wang Gang,
Brambley Michael,
Ejenakevwe Kevwe
Organization(s)
University of Oklahoma,
University of Miami,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report examining the use of smart thermostat data to detect performance degradation and optimize comfort control in home AC systems.

Cold Climate DHP Specification

Author(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Organization(s)
NEEA
Publication Date
Webpage outlining how to optimize the installations and performance of mini-split heat pump systems. As well, it discusses a set of design considerations for multi-level homes, low load homes, and heat distribution to rooms without a heat source.

Air-Source Heat Pumps

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR,
EPA
Publication Date
Webpage describing the functionality and benefits of switching to Air Source Heat Pumps, as well as linking to sets of products, rebates, most efficient ASHPs, and providing consumer aid for purchasing an ASHP.

Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
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.

HVAC – Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing

Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
PNNL,
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage providing curriculum with links to presentations and problem sets for teaching an understanding of sizing cold climate heat pumps.

IoT-Based Comfort Control and Fault Diagnostics System for Energy-Efficient Homes

Author(s)
O'Neill Zheng,
Tao Yang,
Jin Wen,
Kimball Richard,
Ningxuan Wen,
Taasevigen Danny,
Xiao Hai
Organization(s)
Texas A&M University,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research report discussing the reduction of HVAC energy consumption to meet U.S. greenhouse gas targets and DOE's energy-efficient building goals. It introduces iComfort, an IoT-based system for optimizing home comfort and energy savings.

Advanced HVAC Humidity Control for Hot-Humid Climates

Author(s)
Mallay David
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
The research report outlines a practical and cost-effective strategy utilizing central HVAC systems to optimize humidity control and ventilation in energy-efficient homes located in hot-humid climates, demonstrating significant improvements without requiring complex equipment upgrades.

Users Guide: Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing Support Tools

Author(s)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
Organization(s)
NEEP
Publication Date
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.

2023 (2020) Standard for Performance Rating of Unitary Air-Conditioning and Air-Source Heat Pump Equipment, AHRI Standard 210/240

Author(s)
Air-Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute
Organization(s)
AHRI
Publication Date
Performance rating standards for unitary air-conditioners and unitary air-source heat pumps, including definitions, classifications, testing, rating, and operating requirements, as well as minimum data requirements for published ratings and markings.

ENERGY STAR® Certified Mini Split Heat Pumps

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Factsheet describing mini split heat pumps and their benefits for consumers.

Flood Cleanup: Protecting Indoor Air Quality

Author(s)
US Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
This five-page brochure contains basic information on flood cleanup with illustrations and links to more detailed information.

Emergencies and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Website that lists references that can help you determine how to control you indoor air quality while combating an emergency.

Filtration and Disinfection FAQ

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE
Publication Date
ASHRAE Q&A addressing HVAC filtration and disinfection for reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioners

Author(s)
Energy Saver
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage describing the advantages and disadvantages of ductless mini-split air conditioner.

Heat Pumps for Heating and Cooling

Author(s)
Town of Concord Massachusetts
Organization(s)
Town of Concord Massachusetts
Publication Date
Webpage providing basic information on various types of heat pumps and their applications in Massachusetts.

NEEP’s Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump List

Author(s)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
Organization(s)
NEEP
Publication Date
Database compiling extended capacity data for numerous cold climate heat pump manufacturers and models.

Refrigerant Leak Prevention: Best Practices – Tech Tip

Author(s)
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Organization(s)
NYSERDA
Publication Date
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.

Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump Specification, Version 4.0

Author(s)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
Organization(s)
NEEP
Publication Date
Specification defining performance and reporting requirements to meet the voluntary “Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump Specification” (ccASHP Specification) for air source heat pumps suited to heat efficiently in cold climates (IECC cz 4 and higher).

Air Source Heat Pumps Tax Credit

Author(s)
ENERGY STAR
Organization(s)
ENERGY STAR,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA
Publication Date
This is a federal tax credit for complying air source heat pumpe. Units located in the "North" must meet ENERGY STAR's cold climate heat pump criteria.

2023 ASHRAE Handbook - HVAC Applications

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
Organization(s)
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Guidebook covering basic principles and data used in the HVAC&R industry. This is the 2023 edition of the handbook, which can be purchased physically or digitally at the reference link in versions using either I-P units of measurement or SI units of measurement.

CEE Residential Product Directory

Author(s)
Consortium for Energy Efficiency; Air-Conditioning,
Heating,
and Refrigeration Institute
Organization(s)
CEE; AHRI
Publication Date
AHRI-hosted directory of residential products meeting CEE's highest tier

Room Air Conditioners

Author(s)
Energy Saver,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Web page providing an overview of room-level air conditioning systems such as window units and mini-splits.

Achieving Ducts in Conditioned Space

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
NREL,
DOE
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing best strategies to bring ductwork on single-story homes with a slab-on-grade foundation in hot, dry climates into the conditioned envelope of the home intending to highlight the pros and cons of multiple ductwork integration strategies, including traditional duct systems in...

Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2022

Author(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
American National Standards Institute
Organization(s)
ASHRAE,
ANSI
Publication Date
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...

ECA HVAC Units

Author(s)
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program,
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
California Governor's Office of Emergency Services,
Southern California Earthquake Center,
Earthquake Country Alliance
Organization(s)
NEHRP,
FEMA,
Cal OES,
SCEC,
ECA
Publication Date
Factsheet describing methods for securing HVAC units to avoid damage during an earthquake.

Development and Validation of Algorithms That Analyze Communicating Thermostat Data to Identify Enclosure Retrofit Opportunities

Author(s)
Zeifman Michael,
Roth Kurt
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
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...

Understanding HPWH Interaction with Space Conditioning Systems in the Field

Author(s)
Larson Ben
Organization(s)
Ecotope,
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy,
ACEEE
Publication Date
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.

Evaporative Coolers: General History of the Evaporative Cooler

Author(s)
Pima County Public Library
Organization(s)
Pima County Public Library
Publication Date
Web article describing the evolution of evaporative coolers, water usage of evaporative coolers, and links to information on selecting an evaporative cooler.

Evaporative Coolers

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Article describing how evaporative coolers work and how to maintain them.

AC Comfort

Author(s)
AC Comfort
Organization(s)
AC Comfort
Publication Date
Website containing commercial information related to air conditioning and heating.

HVAC Sizing Tool

Author(s)
BetterBuilt Northwest,
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Organization(s)
BetterBuiltNW,
NEEA
Publication Date
Software tool available free online that can help calculate heating and cooling requirements to accurately size HVAC equipment in as little as 15 minutes.