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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 301 - 350 of 695

High Hats, Swiss Cheese, and Fluorescent Lighting?

Author(s)
McCullough Jeff J,
Gordon Kelly L
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL
Publication Date
Report discussing the potential energy savings of new high-efficiency downlights, and the results of product testing to date.

High Performance Home Technologies: Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems, Volume 6

Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
Gilbride Theresa L,
Ruiz Kathi,
Steward Heidi,
Love Pat M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report providing an introduction to current photovoltaic and solar thermal building practices.

High-R Roofs Case Study Analysis, BA-1006

Author(s)
Straube John,
Grin Aaron
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC
Publication Date
Report that considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.

High-R Walls for Remodeling: Wall Cavity Moisture Monitoring

Author(s)
Wiehagen Joseph,
Kochkin Vladimir
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study presenting results of an existing home monitoring project designed to measure wall cavity moisture characteristics.

Home Energy Displays: Consumer Adoption and Response

Author(s)
LaMarche Janelle,
Cheney Kate,
Akers Craig,
Roth Kurt,
Sachs Olga
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,
Fraunhofer CSE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study investigating the factors influencing consumer adoption of HEDs and evaluating the resulting electricity consumption.

Home Energy Saver

Author(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Organization(s)
LBNL
Publication Date
Online calculator for estimating payback of adding additional insulation to your house.

Home Power

Author(s)
Sanchez
Organization(s)
Home Power
Publication Date
Web article about solar site assessment.

Homeowner's and Renter's Guide to Reducing Radon After Disasters

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Organization(s)
EPA,
FEMA,
HUD
Publication Date
Homeowner guidance from EPA, FEMA, HUD, and NIH on dealing with radon following a natural disaster.

Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety

Author(s)
California Seismic Safety Commission
Organization(s)
SSC,
State of California
Publication Date
Guidebook that provides information on earthquake hazards that can damage homes, the design and retrofit of earthquake resistant housing, and how to find more information on earthquake safety.

Hot Water Distribution System Model Enhancements

Author(s)
Hoeschele Marc,
Weitzel Elizabeth
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Report on a project that enhanced the HWSIM distribution system model to more accurately model pipe heat transfer.

Housing Stock Characterization Study: An Innovative Approach to Measuring Retrofit Impact

Author(s)
Kipp Jennison M,
Taylor Nicholas W,
Jones Pierce H
Organization(s)
Building Energy Efficient Housing for America,
BEEHA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report detailing an evaluation of Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) residential energy efficiency demand side management (DSM) programs to assess their impacts and relative measures of energy and economic performance.

How Does a Water Softener Work?

Author(s)
Gerbis Nicholas
Organization(s)
Home & Garden
Publication Date
Resource that explains how water softeners work to reduce scale.

How Energy Efficient are Modern Dishwashers?

Author(s)
Hoak David,
Parker Danny S,
Hermelink Andreas H
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Report about measurements of three recent vintage dishwashers of very different efficiencies showing that while they are substantially more efficient than older dishwashers.

How Much Ventilation Do I Need?

Author(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Organization(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Publication Date
Website with articles on home ventilation and indoor air quality.

How to Find Indoor airPLUS Compliant Low Emission Products

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Companion document to the Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications, providing guidance on identifying compliant products, including industry databases and examples of product labeling.

How to Install Cellulose Insulation

Author(s)
Holladay Martin
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor,
GBA
Publication Date
Information sheet presenting techniques for installing cellulose insulation.

How to Insulate a Basement Wall

Author(s)
Holladay Martin
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor,
GBA
Publication Date
Blog entry describing methods for insulating basement walls on the interior or exterior.

How To: Mounting Solar on Sips

Author(s)
Sughrue Patrick
Organization(s)
Premier SIPS Structural Insulated Panels,
Home Power Magazine
Publication Date
A structural insulated panel (SIP) roof has no embedded lumber in the structure, and therefore nothing substantial for attaching PV array and solar hot water mounts. Single or double lumber splines could be put into the panels, or I-joists at 4-foot intervals could be added.

Humidity Control: Supplemental Dehumidification in Hot-Humid Climates

Author(s)
Home Innovation Research Labs,
National Association of Home Builders,
International Code Council
Organization(s)
HIRL,
NAHB,
ICC
Publication Date
Fact Sheet describing the need for supplemental dehumidification, dehumidifier configuration options, and design considerations.

Hurricane Retrofit Guide - Wood Frame Walls

Author(s)
Florida Disaster
Organization(s)
Florida Division of Emergency Management
Publication Date
Report describing the hurricane retrofit guide with focus on walls and wooded framed walls.

HVAC A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners, Volume 14

Author(s)
Gilbride Theresa L,
Baechler Michael C,
Hefty Marye G,
Hand James R,
Love Pat M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
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.

HVAC System Pressure Relief

Author(s)
Raymer Paul H,
Moyer Neil
Organization(s)
Tamarack Technologies,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
Correcting pressure imbalances in your HVAC system can result in a healthier, more efficient home.

HVI Airflow Test Procedure

Author(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Organization(s)
HVI
Publication Date
Publication specifying HVI’s prescriptive procedures for testing and rating airflow of residential ventilation products in accordance with ANSI consensus standards.

HVI Certification Program Policies and Procedures

Author(s)
Home Ventilating Institute
Organization(s)
HVI
Publication Date
Publication describing the requirements and procedures for the certified performance ratings program for residential ventilation products administered by the Home Ventilating Institute.

IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings under Construction

Author(s)
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association
Organization(s)
SMACNA
Publication Date
Book providing project management guidance in maintaining satisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) of occupied buildings undergoing renovation or construction.

Impact of Residential Mechanical Ventilation on Energy Cost and Humidity Control

Author(s)
Martin Eric
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Publication Date
The study described in this white paper is based on building energy modeling with an important focus on the indoor humidity impacts of ventilation.

Improved Modeling of Residential Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps for Energy Calculations

Author(s)
Cutler Dylan,
Winkler Jon,
Kruis Neal,
Christensen Craig B,
Brandemuhl Michael J
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
University of Colorado,
CU
Publication Date
Report presenting improved air conditioner (AC) and heat pump (HP) modeling methods in the context of whole-building simulation tools.

Improving Recessed Lighting

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Report providing information about techniques and approaches to improve the efficiency of recessed lighting.

Indoor Air Quality Certification

Author(s)
Scientific Certification Systems
Organization(s)
SCS
Publication Date
Standard supporting indoor air quality performance by producers, purchasers and policy makers to improve the environmental performance of products and services.

Indoor Air Quality in 24 California Residences Designed as High-Performance Homes

Author(s)
Less Brennan,
Mullen Nasim A,
Singer Brett C,
Walker Iain S
Organization(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
LBNL
Publication Date
This research study used pollutant measurements, home inspections, diagnostic testing and occupant surveys to assess IAQ in 24 new or deeply retrofitted homes designed to be high performance green buildings in California.

Indoor Airflow – Perfect Balance vs. Door Undercut

Author(s)
Guertin Mike
Organization(s)
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Publication Date
Central return designs require an open pathway between the room and the heart of the house where the return grill is located.

Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications, Version 1 (Rev. 04)

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Document outlining specifications that were developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize new homes equipped with a comprehensive set of indoor air quality (IAQ) features.

Inspecting the Dryer Exhaust

Author(s)
Gromicko Nick,
Gromicko Ben
Organization(s)
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors,
InterNACHI
Publication Date
Article describing the correct installation of clothes dryer exhaust ducts.