Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 1 - 50 of 57 results:

40% Whole-House Energy Savings in the Hot-Humid Climate, Volume 15

2011

Baechler Michael C,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

A guidebook helping builders in hot-humid climates design and construct homes for energy efficiency, durability, health, safety, and comfort.

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.

Advanced Power Strip Research Report

2011

Koser Kelly,

Uthe Carl

NYSERDA

Report investigating implemention of advanced power strips for entertainment and home office electronics would reduce energy consumption across the residential market.

All About Water-Resistive Barriers

2011

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor

Article about different types of weather resistant barrier.

Assessing and Improving the Accuracy of Energy Analysis for Residential Buildings

2011

Kruis Neal,

Polly Benjamin,

Roberts David

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report describing methodology to assess and improve the accuracy of whole building energy analysis for residential buildings.

Building America Special Research Project - High R-Value Enclosures for High Performance Residential Buildings in All Climate Zones, BA-1005

2011

Straube John

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

This report will review, and summarize the current state of understanding and research into enclosures with higher thermal resistance, so-called “High-R Enclosures.” Recommendations are provided for further research.

Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes (BESTEST-EX)

2011

Judkoff Ron,

Neymark Joel,

Polly Benjamin

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Document about testing software predictions of retrofit energy savings in existing homes.

Bulk Water Control Methods for Foundations, BA-1015

2011

Lstiburek Joseph W,

Ueno Kohta

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report about the fundamental concepts that must be understood at the planning or initial nspection of existing homes regarding surface and ground water management.

Collapsible Soils

2011

Colorado Geological Survey

CGS

Website discussing building foundation problems caused by settling soil in Colorado.

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.

Controlling Cold-Weather Condensation Using Insulation, BSD-163

2011

Straube John

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing research encouraging use of exterior insulation to warm interior sheathing surfaces in walls and roof assemblies to reduce the likelihood of condensation during cold weather

Dam Ice Dam, BSI-046

2011

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Article describing strategies for reducing the risk of ice dam formation on roofs in winter.

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.

Energy Savings Measure Packages: Existing Homes

2011

Casey Sean,

Booten Chuck

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

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.

ENERGY STAR Market & Industry Scoping Report - Residential Clothes Dryers

2011

ENERGY STAR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

EPA,

ENERGY STAR

EPA's market report about residential clothes dryers.

Evaluation of Air Mixing and Thermal Comfort From High Sidewall Supply Air Jets

2011

Ridouane El Hassan

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Research study evaluating operating conditions required to maintain uniform mixing, within high performance homes, under both heating and cooling conditions.

Evaluation of Humidity Control Options in Hot-Humid Climate Homes

2011

Winkler Jon,

Christensen Dane,

Fang Xia

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Research study that utilizes EnergyPlus equipped with the moisture capacitance model to analyze the indoor relative humidity in three home types.

Expert Meeting Report: Simplified Space Conditioning Strategies for Energy Efficient Houses

2011

Stecher Dave

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

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.

Field Monitoring Protocol: Mini-Split Heat Pumps

2011

Christensen Dane,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Mountain Energy Partnership,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Information sheet with an analysis of mini split heat pump systems.

Field Test Protocol: Standard Internal Load Generation for Unoccupied Test Homes

2011

Christensen Dane,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Mountain Energy Partnership,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report describing a simple and general way to generate House Simulation Protocol (HSP)-consistent internal sensible and latent loads in unoccupied homes.

Foundation Heat Exchanger Model and Design Tool Development and Validation

2011

Spitler Jeffrey D,

et al.

Oklahoma State University,

OSU,

De Montfort University,

DMU,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Report describing a project aimed at developing validated models and design tools for foundation heat exchangers.

Foundation Heat Exchangers for Residential Ground Source Heat Pump Systems - Numerical Modeling and Experimental Validation

2011

Xing Lu,

et al.

Oklahoma State University,

OSU,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL

Article describing a numerical model that can be used to size foundation heat exchanger (FHX) systems.

Ground-Source Variable Refrigerant Flow Heat Pumps: A Solution for Affordable Housing, Assisted Living, Hotels and Dorms

2011

Karr Marcia

Washington State University Extension Energy Program

Factsheet describing the uses and benefits of ground-source heat pumps for affordable housing, assisted living, dorms and hotels.

Guidelines for Installing Flexible Duct

2011

ATCO Rubber Products Inc.,

Air Duct Council

ADC

Presentation about proper installation of flexible ducts.

Heat Pumps and Hydronics - A Great Team for High Performance Homes

2011

Butler David

Energy Vanguard

Article discussing the advantages of using heat pumps and/or hydronic forced air heat instead of furnaces in high-performance homes.

How to Install Cellulose Insulation

2011

Holladay Martin

Green Building Advisor,

GBA

Information sheet presenting techniques for installing cellulose insulation.

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

2011

Gilbride Theresa L,

et al.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,

PNNL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

ORNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

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.

Indoor Airflow – Perfect Balance vs. Door Undercut

2011

Guertin Mike

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

Central return designs require an open pathway between the room and the heart of the house where the return grill is located.

Kick the Can! No Recessed Lights in the Building Envelope

2011

Bailes Allison

Energy Vanguard

Article discussing the downside to recessed can lights.

Laboratory Performance Evaluation of Residential Integrated Heat Pump Water Heaters

2011

Sparn Bethany,

Hudon Kate,

Christensen Dane

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report presenting lab evaluation of five heat pump water heaters available in the US market today.

Laboratory Test Report for Fujitsu 12RLS and Mitsubishi FE12NA Mini-Split Heat Pumps

2011

Winkler Jon

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report proposing mini-split heat pumps as a new retrofit option to replace resistance heating in the Pacific Northwest.

Laboratory Test Report for Six ENERGY STAR Dehumidifiers

2011

Winkler Jon,

Christensen Dane,

Tomerlin Jeff

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report documenting the measured performance of six residential ENERGY STAR vapor compression dehumidifiers.

Local Exhaust and Whole House Ventilation Strategies

2011

Rudd Armin

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report on whole-house and spot ventilation strategies for improved indoor air quality.

Measure Guideline: Sealing and Insulating Ducts in Existing Homes

2011

Aldrich Robb,

Puttagunta Srikanth

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA

Report describing the sealing and insulating of HVAC duct systems in existing homes.

Measure Guideline: Summary of Interior Ducts in New Construction, Including an Efficient, Affordable Method to Install Fur-Down Interior Ducts

2011

Beal David,

et al.

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

Document illustrating guidelines for efficient installation of interior duct systems in new housing.

Measure Guideline: Water Management at Tub and Shower Assemblies

2011

Dickson Bruce

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report covering the fundamental waterproofing strategies for tub and shower assemblies.

Method for Determining Optimal Residential Energy Efficiency Packages

2011

Polly Benjamin,

et al.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Report describing an analysis method for determining optimal residential energy efficiency retrofit packages and applies the analysis method to a 1960s-era home in eight U.S. cities.

Performance Evaluation and Opportunity Assessment for St. Bernard Project

2011

Dickson Bruce

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

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 Combination Hydronic Systems

2011

Butcher Thomas

American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,

ASHRAE

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.

Preventing Ice Dams

2011

Fisette Paul

UMass Amherst Department of Environmental Conservation

Article describing how ice dams form on residential roofs, how they damage homes, and solutions to prevent future dams.

Radiant Barrier Calculator

2011

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL

Website providing an online calculator for determining energy and cost savings from installing radiant barriers in attics.

Raised-Heel Trusses

2011

American Plywood Association

APA

Information sheet with the definition and uses for a raised truss.

Reaching for Peak Performance in Existing Homes - A Cold Climate Study With Synergy Construction

2011

Gates Cathy,

Osser Rosie

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Research study about two test homes that are examined with the goal of providing case studies that could be applied to other similar New England homes.

Renewable Energy Ready Home Solar Photovoltaic Specification Guide

2011

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

The RERH specifications and checklists take a builder and a project design team through the steps of assessing a home’s solar resource potential and defining the minimum structural and system components needed to support a solar energy system.

Research and Resources

2011

Carpet and Rug Institute

CRI

Webpage containing downloadable fact sheets covering carpet-related topics including Indoor Air Quality, Asthma and Allergy, Cleaning Products, and Environmental Sustainability.

Smoke-Free Housing

2011

Tobacco Free NYS

Initiatives of smoke-free housing policies in New York State.

Solar Photovoltaic - Specification, Checklist and Guide

2011

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Guidelines to assist builders in designing and constructing homes equipped with a set of features that make the installation of solar energy systems after the completion of the home’s construction easier and less expensive.

Solar Water Heating - Specification, Checklist and Guide

2011

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Solar Water Heating - Specification, Checklist and Guide

2011

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Specifications to assist builders in designing and constructing homes equipped with a set of features that make the installation of solar energy systems after the completion of the home’s construction easier and less expensive.

Strategy Guideline: Accurate Heating and Cooling Load Calculations

2011

Burdick Arlan

Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,

IBACOS,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Report about the impact on the loads when common safety factors are applied to the load calculation process using two houses that meet the 2009 IECC prescriptive path modeled as the accurate baseline.