Library

This webpage provides an interactive walk-through of the installation of a heat pump water heater in a home in Massachusetts, including how-to videos of the installation, video interviews with the homeowners, installer, and utility program partners, and visual tours of the home before and after...

Research study describing field testing performed in 32 two-story Florida homes to characterize wind washing failures of the house air and thermal boundary.

Article discussing the downside to recessed can lights.

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.

Report describing research conducted to support California’s Title 24, Part 6 Building Energy Efficiency Standards by analyzing the impact of installation location and ventilation on heat pump water heater (HPWH) performance, emphasizing the need for proper installation to maximize efficiency...

PDF literature review of the impact and need for attic ventilation in Florida homes.

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.

This webpage provides an interactive walk-through of the installation of a heat pump water heater in a home in Maine, including how-to videos of the installation, video interviews with the homeowners, installer, and utility program partners, and visual tours of the home before and after installation...

Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Guideline describing the importance of the different types of multifamily building attics and their unique challenges, and outlines strategies and materials used in air-sealing them.

Project discussing buried or encapsulated ducts and their pros and cons.

Document pertaining to design and application guidance for combination space and tankless domestic hot water heating systems used in residential buildings, based on field evaluation, testing, and industry meetings.

Report describing the installation and operation of forced-air heating and domestic hot water combi systems in residential homes.

Guideline describing information and specifications relevant to air-seal existing attics.

Document developed to help residential builders and retrofitters transition from tank-type water heaters to tankless water heaters.

Web resource that lays out the pre-work considerations, methods and finishes for installing mechanical insulation.

Report covering the selection of roof vents for rainwater resistance.

FEMA report describing findings from an investigation of Hurricane Ike in Texas and Louisiana and residential construction recommendations based on those findings.

FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team Report describing damages from Hurricane Michael in Florida in Oct. 2018 and recommendations for future hurricane preparedness.

This paper discusses model validation using data from three thermosiphon systems.

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

Conference paper making the case that moving ducts to conditioned space saves energy, is practical for production builders (when accompanied by careful pre-planning), and creates significant andmarketable energy savings for homebuyers.

Study in which a central heat pump water heater system was monitored in detail and used to create a model for assessing similar systems in various climates.

Guide providing information on controlling attic ductwork sweating.

Report highlighting the evaluation methods used and extent of wind washing found in a study analyzing wind washing in thirty-two two-story homes.

Report providing information to researchers, utility program managers, and building owners interested in controlling heating energy waste and improving resident comfort.

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.

Article outlining moisture accumulation in open cell spray polyurethane foam.

Report describing the key findings from the first third-party field validation of 120-volt heat pump water heater (HPWH) technology, addressing the significant barriers to their adoption and emphasizing their potential role in reducing carbon emissions from residential water heating.

Report describing a laboratory assessment on the performance of Rheem 120-volt heat pump water heaters (HPWH), aimed at identifying optimal installation locations for these new "plug-in" models based on comprehensive testing under various conditions.

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

This page provides important information on how to protect yourself and your family if you suspect that you might have vermiculite insulation from Libby, Montana.

Website from the EPA containing information for homeowners and renters about how to identify asbestos in the home and how to deal with it to reduce exposure to it.

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

Fact sheet describing analysis of potential heating and cooling savings from radiant barriers in attics.

U.S. Department of Energy's website describing radiant barriers in homes.

Website with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about attic radiant barriers.

Research project aimed to verify whether homes in the New Jersey HPwES program achieved 30% source energy savings, and if so, what measures were implemented to achieve them.

Article describing moisture and ice dam issues in attics and how to air seal the attic floor.

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.

Website with information and research about residential hot water distribution systems.

Brochure with information on residential solar hot water systems.

A retrofit sheet providing information on elevating and securing water heaters to protect against damage during a flood.

Report describing the costs, benefits, and challenges of attic insulation retrofits in HUD-code manufactured homes.

Report presenting results of a laboratory experiment studying combi systems as a mode to eliminate safety issues associated with natural draft appliances.

Information sheet describing tankless hot water heating systems in existing homes.

Document discussing changes in testing the annual performance ratings for solar water heaters.

Q&A article discussing how to address moisture issues in an attic in a wet and humid coastal climate.

Article describing how insulating and air sealing unfinished attic spaces can lead to reduced energy bills in some homes.

A fact sheet providing homeowners with guidance on properly securing water heaters to prevent them from tipping in an earthquake.