Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Project discussing buried or encapsulated ducts and their pros and cons.
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 101 - 150 of 162
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
MEEA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report using pre- and post-system upgrade data to analyze the energy savings associated with Iowa's HVAC SAVE program for space heating.
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report about results of 10 test buildings in Chicago, studied to identify best practices for methodology, typical costs, and energy savings associated with steam system balancing.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report investigating performance and energy savings potential of heat pump water heaters.
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Research study developed and verified a fuel oil flow field measurement protocol that is cost effective and can be performed with little training for use by the BB program as well as other weatherization programs and building science researchers.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Document intended for designers and installers of hydronic heating systems interested in maximizing the overall system efficiency of condensing boilers when coupled with baseboard convectors. It is applicable to new and retrofit projects.
Organization(s)
ACCA
Publication Date
Description
Standard covering sizing strategies for all types of cooling and heating equipment, as well as how to use comprehensive manufacturer’s performance data on sensible, latent, or heating capacity for various operating conditions.
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Description
Report demonstrating how the initiative achieves Building America (BA) goals of 30%-50% energy savings in multifamily dwellings in the hot-humid climate zone.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report detailing retrofit of two existing houses in the Wyandotte Neighborhood program.
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,
Fraunhofer CSE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
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
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Expert meeting held to review and discuss results and future plans for research to improve the performance of hydronic heating systems using condensing boilers and baseboard convectors.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
University of Colorado,
CU
Publication Date
Description
Report presenting improved air conditioner (AC) and heat pump (HP) modeling methods in the context of whole-building simulation tools.
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy
Publication Date
Description
Document covering installation of high efficiency gas furnaces, including when to install a high efficiency gas furnace as a retrofit measure, how to identify and address risks, and steps to follow for the selection and installation process.
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
MEEA,
CNT Energy,
Elevate Energy,
Future Energy Enterprises,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report describing work conducted by the Building Science Corporation (BSC) Building America Research Teams Energy Efficient Housing Research Partnerships project.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Online reference containing general information about geothermal heat pumps.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report about two test home evaluations that provided valuable data about the true in-field performance of various building mechanical systems and LAMELs.
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership
Publication Date
Description
Report evaluating the relative effectiveness of various control and distribution strategies to improve hydronic space heating performance in existing low-rise multifamily buildings
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Presentation on Improving Air-Conditioner and Heat Pump Modeling.
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Expert meeting identifying installation practices that provide the best installed efficiency for residential gas furnaces, explain how AFUE and field efficiency can differ, and investigate the impact of installation practices on the efficiency and long-term durability of the furnace.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Presentation about heat pump water heater modeling using EnergyPlus.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
HIRL
Publication Date
Description
A quick-reference guide advising homeowners on how to elevate and protect outdoor HVAC equipment from high winds and floods.
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report describing the equipment selection of a split system air conditioner and furnace for an example house in Chicago, Illinois, as well as a heat pump system for an example house in Orlando, Florida.
Organization(s)
AHRI
Publication Date
Description
Online database with efficiency information about residential HVAC systems and commercial refrigeration equipment.
Organization(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE,
Oklahoma State University,
OSU,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
Study characterizing how foundation heat exchangers (FHXs) used in residential ground source heat pump systems represent a potential cost savings due to their lesser first cost over other types of heat exchangers.
Organization(s)
EPA,
ENERGY STAR
Publication Date
Description
Website with information about ENERGY STAR criteria for geothermal heat pumps.
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Description
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.
Technical Highlight - NREL Tests Integrated Heat Pump Water Heater Performance in Different Climates
Organization(s)
NREL,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Document about laboratory testing of five integrated heat pump water heaters (HPWH).
Organization(s)
NREL,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE
Publication Date
Description
Article investigating how a linear input/output relationship can be used as a simple model of the performance of a combination hydronic heating system over heating only, DHW only, and combined loads.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report proposing mini-split heat pumps as a new retrofit option to replace resistance heating in the Pacific Northwest.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Description
Report presenting lab evaluation of five heat pump water heaters available in the US market today.
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report providing information about energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) equipment options to help homeowners cut their energy use, reduce their carbon footprint, and increase their homes comfort, health, and safety.
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Expert meeting held to discuss simplified space conditioning systems in low load homes, including the relationship between advanced thermal enclosures, space conditioning systems and comfort.
Organization(s)
Washington State University Extension Energy Program
Publication Date
Description
Factsheet describing the uses and benefits of ground-source heat pumps for affordable housing, assisted living, dorms and hotels.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Mountain Energy Partnership,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet with an analysis of mini split heat pump systems.
Construction and Demolition: How to Properly Dispose of Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Equipment
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Description
A website explaining how to properly dispose of old refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.
Organization(s)
Energy Vanguard
Publication Date
Description
Article discussing the advantages of using heat pumps and/or hydronic forced air heat instead of furnaces in high-performance homes.
Organization(s)
CARB,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Research study describing demonstration homes that provided a wealth of information for the building community in terms of the science, effort, and cost of increasing the energy efficiency of our nation's housing stock.
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Factsheet describing the importance of system charging, superheat and subcooling.
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Report describing ventilation system design, including a central fan integrated supply (CFIS) system, made up of a 6-inch outdoor air intake duct connected to the return side of the air handler with a fan cycling control to make sure the fan runs a programmed minimum amount of time.
Organization(s)
Oklahoma State University,
OSU,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
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.
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Document describing the Building America research benchmark for the residential building program.
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet offering general recommendations on supplemental humidity control and outlines viable system configurations.
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet describing transfer ducts and grilles for HVAC.
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Description
Information sheet about buried ducts.
Organization(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL
Publication Date
Description
Report about a building project in the marine climate.
Organization(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Description
Report investigating the status of the geothermal heat pump (GHP) industry and technology in the United States, assembling GHP energy savings potential, identifying key barriers to application of GHPs, and identifying actions that could accelerate adoption of GHPs.