Library | Building America Solution Center

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 - 17 of 17

Analysis of Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Measure Packages

Author(s)

Baker Julie D,

Brand Larry,

Yee Shannon

Organization(s)

Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,

PARR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,

MEEA

Publication Date

September, 2013

Report that collected field data from a whole-home program in Illinois are utilized to compare marketplace-installed measures to the energy saving optimal packages previously developed for 15 housing types.

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

Author(s)

Gates Cathy

Organization(s)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

January, 2013

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

Cost Effectiveness of Home Energy Retrofits in Pre-Code Vintage Homes in the United States

Author(s)

Fairey Philip W,

Parker Danny S

Organization(s)

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,

BA-PIRC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

November, 2012

Research study examining the opportunities for cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits in residential archetypes constructed before 1980 (Pre-Code) in 14 U.S. cities.

Energy Savings Measure Packages: Existing Homes

Author(s)

Casey Sean,

Booten Chuck

Organization(s)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

November, 2011

Document presenting a simple starting point to determine the most cost-effective Energy Savings Measure Packages (ESMP) for existing homes to achieve 15% and 30% savings in 37 locations across the United States.

Expert Meeting Report: Interior Insulation Retrofit of Mass Masonry Wall Assemblies

Author(s)

Ueno Kohta,

Van Straaten R

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

February, 2012

Expert Meeting about interior insulation retrofit of mass masonry wall assemblies held on July 30, 2011.

Measure Guideline: Transitioning From Three-Coat Stucco to One-Coat Stucco With EPS

Author(s)

Brozyna Kevin,

Rapport Ari,

Davis Graham

Organization(s)

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

April, 2012

Document developed to help residential new construction builders transition from using a three-coat stucco system to a one-coat stucco system installed over 1 in. of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation.

Measure Guideline: Wall Air Sealing and Insulation Methods in Existing Homes - An Overview of Opportunity and Process

Author(s)

Stephenson R,

Roberts David

Organization(s)

NAHB Research Center Industry Partnership,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

September, 2012

Document providing renovators and retrofit contractors an overview of considerations when including wall air sealing and insulation in an energy retrofit project.

Moisture Performance of Unvented Attics with Vapor Diffusion Ports and Buried Ducts in Hot, Humid Climates

Author(s)

Kaufman Zoe,

Fontanini Anthony,

Withers Charles R,

Marden Craig,

Ueno Kohta,

Philip Ross,

Barker Greg M,

Hancock Ed,

Earle Lieko,

Garber-Slaght Robbin,

Meleika Sam

Organization(s)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

September, 2024

Report on the use of vapor diffusion ports to reduce moisture issues with buried ductwork in unvented attics in hot-humid climates.

Moisture Research - Optimizing Wall Assemblies

Author(s)

Arena Lois,

Mantha Pallavi

Organization(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

May, 2013

Report describing evaluation of several configurations of wall assemblies to determine the accuracy of moisture modeling and make recommendations to ensure durable, efficient assemblies.

Newporter Apartments: Deep Energy Retrofit Short-Term Results

Author(s)

Gordon Andrew,

Howard Luke,

Kunkle Rick,

Lubliner Michael,

Auer Dan,

Clegg Zach

Organization(s)

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,

BA-PIRC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

December, 2012

Report demonstrating cost-effective energy savings targets as well as improved comfort and indoor environmental quality associated with deep energy retrofits by a large public housing authority as part of a larger rehabilitation effort.

Performance Evaluation and Opportunity Assessment for St. Bernard Project

Author(s)

Dickson Bruce

Organization(s)

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

June, 2011

Report providing information about improving the energy efficiency and long-term durability of the buildings that are being reconstructed post Katrina in New Orleans.

Performance of Windows in Walls With Continuous Insulation

Author(s)

Peavey John,

Shah Nay B

Organization(s)

Home Innovation Research Labs,

HIRL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Publication Date

March, 2023

Technical report describing research aimed to provide window manufacturers with foundational guidance for installing windows in walls with continuous insulation (CI), addressing critical aspects such as evaluating common installation methods, establishing acceptance criteria for window performance...

Strategy Guideline: Partnering for High Performance Homes

Author(s)

Prahl Duncan

Organization(s)

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

January, 2013

Document serving as a starting point that features initial tools and resources for teams to start collaborating to continually improve the energy efficiency and durability of new houses.

Super Energy Efficient Design (S.E.E.D.) Home Evaluation

Author(s)

German Alea,

Dakin Bill,

Backman Christine,

Weitzel Elizabeth,

Springer David

Organization(s)

Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,

ARBI,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Davis Energy Group,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

December, 2012

Research study determining how well high performance envelope and innovative cooling system interact to cost effectively reduce cooling energy use in this hot-dry climate.

Survey of Whole House Programs in Midwestern Climates

Author(s)

McGeough U,

Baker Will,

Peters J,

Beitel Annette

Organization(s)

Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,

PARR,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

November, 2012

Research study making several recommendations to whole-home program designers and implementers for improving the cost effectiveness and reach of whole-home programs.

Validation of a Hot Water Distribution Model Using Laboratory and Field Data

Author(s)

Backman Christine,

Hoeschele Marc

Organization(s)

Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,

ARBI,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Davis Energy Group,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

July, 2013

Research study comparing TRNSYS Type 604 pipe model against laboratory pipe heat loss test data and detailed field monitoring data.

Whole-House Design and Commissioning in the Project Home Again Hot-Humid New Construction Community

Author(s)

Kerrigan Philip

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

September, 2012

Report describing work conducted by the Building Science Corporation (BSC) Building America Research Teams Energy Efficient Housing Research Partnerships project.