Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 107 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 Realistic Hot Water Draw Specification for Rating Solar Water Heaters

2012

Burch Jay,

Thornton Jeff

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Thermal Energy System Specialists,

TESS

Document outlining the current and the proposed draws and estimates typical ratings changes from draw specification changes for typical systems in four cities.

Advanced Water Heating Specification

2022

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

NEEA

Specifications for water heating systems designed to advance higher performing electric and gas heat pump water heaters.

Assessing the Energy Savings of Tankless Water Heater Retrofits in Public Housing

2013

Dwiantoro Deny,

Walters R,

Ries R

Building Energy Efficient Homes for America,

BEEHA,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report describing methodology, analysis, and findings from a case study of a 110-unit retrofit of gas tankless water heaters in a hot/humid climate in Alachua County, Florida.

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.

Best Practices Solar Case Study: John Wesley Miller Companies, Armory Park del Sol Tucson Arizona

2009

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Case study describing solar thermal and photovoltaic systems in new construction.

Builders Challenge Guide to 40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Hot-Dry and Mixed-Dry Climates Solar Case Study Grupe: Carsten Crossings, Rocklin California

2009

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Case study describing solar thermal and photovoltaic systems in new construction.

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 Best Practices Series: Solar Case Study: Pulte Homes, Civano Tucson AZ

2007

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Case study describing solar thermal and photovoltaic systems in new construction.

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.

Combined Space and Water Heating: Next Steps to Improved Performance

2016

Bohac Dave,

Schoenbauer Ben,

Huelman Patrick H

University of Minnesota,

UMN,

NothernSTAR,

NSTAR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report describing combined space- and water-heating (combi) systems using a high-efficiency direct-vent burner.

Comparison of Advanced Residential Water Heating Technologies in the United States

2013

Fang Xia,

Maguire Jeff,

Wilson Eric

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Research report providing a comparison of the most common residential water heating technologies to determine energy-efficient and cost-effective water heating technologies are when subjected to a variety of typical operating conditions.

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.

Condensing Hybrid Water Heater Monitoring Field Evaluation

2011

Maguire Jeff,

et al.

Mountain Energy Partnership,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report about a hybrid condensing water heater (thermal efficiency = 0.973, energy factor = 0.95) installed in an occupied home in Sacramento, California, and monitored for one year to determine the actual in situ efficiency.

Cost, Design, and Performance of Solar Hot Water in Cold-Climate Homes

2006

Aldrich Robb,

Vijayakumar Gayathri

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA

Report describing the monitored long-term performance of two solar domestic water heating systems in northern climates.

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.

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.

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: Exploring the Disconnect Between Rated and Field Performance of Water Heating Systems

2013

Hoeschele Marc,

Weitzel Elizabeth

Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,

ARBI,

Davis Energy Group,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

The main objective of this expert meeting was to bring together a group of experts intimately involved with issues related to assessing the performance of residential high efficiency water heating systems.

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.

Expert Meeting Report: Recommendations for Applying Water Heaters in Combination Space and Domestic Water Heating Systems

2012

Rudd Armin,

et al.

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Expert meeting describing meeting details for recommendations for applying water heaters in combination space and domestic water heating systems.

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.

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.

General Solar Thermal Specification

2009

Aldrich Robb

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA

Brochure on specifications for solar thermal systems.

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.

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 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.

High Performance Builder Spotlight: NextGen Home, Las Vegas, Nevada

2009

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Case study of new home construction in the hot-dry and mixed-dry climate zones.

High-Performance Home Technologies: Solar Thermal & Photovoltaic Systems, Volume 6 Building America Best Practices Series

2007

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Best Practices document providing an introduction to current photovoltaic and solar thermal building practices.

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.

Hot Water Distribution System Model Enhancements

2012

Hoeschele Marc,

Weitzel Elizabeth

Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,

ARBI,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Davis Energy Group

Report on a project that enhanced the HWSIM distribution system model to more accurately model pipe heat transfer.

Impact of Pilot Light Modeling on the Predicted Annual Performance of Residential Gas Water Heaters

2013

Maguire Jeff,

Burch Jay

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Journal article presenting modeling of residential gas water heaters via dynamic simulation models to determine the effect of the pilot light on their annual energy consumption.

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.

Laboratory Evaluation of Gas-Fired Tankless and Storage Water Heater Approaches to Combination Water and Space Heating

2013

Kingston T,

Scott S

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,

BA-PIRC,

Gas Technology Institute,

GTI Energy

Report summarizing results of testing emerging combo water heating technologies under controlled laboratory operations, that differentiate the performance of the various packaged equipment configurations being offered.