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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 201 - 250 of 274

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

National Green Building Standard Analysis

Author(s)
National Association of Home Builders Research Center,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
DOE
Publication Date
Report detailing the proposed point structure for the prescriptive approach of the energy efficiency chapter of the NGBS update.

Natural Ventilation

Author(s)
Energy Saver
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
DOE Energy Saver webpage providing a brief summary of natural ventilation for houses.

Needs of Non Energy-Focused Contractors

Author(s)
Liaukus Christine
Organization(s)
Building America Retrofit Alliance,
BARA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report investigating what motivates remodelers to become energy-focused and what technical knowledge that need to be energy-focused.

NREL Delivers In-Home HVAC Efficiency Testing Solutions

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
NREL,
DOE
Publication Date
Document on the development of two simple in-home efficiency test methods that can be used by technicians, researchers, or interested homeowners to verify the correct operation and energy efficiency of a homes air conditioning and heating equipment.

NREL Evaluates the Thermal Performance of Uninsulated Walls to Improve the Accuracy of Building Energy Simulation Tools

Author(s)
Ridouane El Hassan
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document about development of models for evaluating thermal performance of walls in existing homes that will improve the accuracy of building energy simulation tools when predicting potential energy savings of existing homes.

NREL Provides Guidance to Improve Thermal Comfort in High-Performance Homes

Author(s)
Ridouane El Hassan
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document about development of recommendations to help residential HVAC designers select optimal supply inlet size and system operating conditions to maintain good thermal comfort in low heating and cooling load homes.

Overheating in Hot-Water and Steam-Heated Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Henderson Hugh,
Podorson David
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report providing information to researchers, utility program managers, and building owners interested in controlling heating energy waste and improving resident comfort.

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
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...

Practical Residential Wall Systems: R-30 and Beyond

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Arena Lois,
Zoeller William
Organization(s)
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document with information about the most practical methods to achieve whole-wall performance of R-30 or above.

Prefabricated Zero Energy Retrofit Technologies: A Market Assessment

Author(s)
Egerter Amy,
Campbell Martha
Organization(s)
Rocky Mountain Institute,
RMI,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing the current state of technology and market gaps for industrialized retrofits as demonstrated by Energiesprong in the Netherlands and providing key recommendations for how the United States might develop its own capacity for such retrofits.

Professional Home Energy Assessments

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage from DOE describing how to conserve energy and save money with a home energy audit.

Radiant Barriers

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
U.S. Department of Energy's website describing radiant barriers in homes.

Raised Ceiling Interior Duct System

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
DOE case study findings on raised ceiling interior duct systems.

Reduce Pest Intrusion

Author(s)
Building Energy Codes Program,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Guide describing ways builders can block off entry points and otherwise make homes inhospitable to all manner of pests.

Reducing Thermal Losses and Gains With Buried and Encapsulated Ducts in Hot-Humid Climates

Author(s)
Shapiro Carl,
Magee A,
Zoeller William
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report including an overview of the buried duct research and information the retrofit methodology used to install and test the three existing duct systems, including short- and long-term data collection.

Residential Buildings: Foundations

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website describing the U.S. Department of Energy's residential buildings program.

Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage describing a DOE Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge. The challenge engages industry partners and focuses around the Cold Climate Heat Pumps, a more environmental and efficient heating alternative to traditional heating.

Residential Fan Efficiency - Code Notes

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
IECC code note explaining new fan efficacy requirements, along with how to determine which fans are affected by the new fan requirements.

Retrofit Techniques and Technologies: Air Sealing, Volume 10

Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
Gilbride Theresa L,
Hefty Marye G,
Cole Pam C,
Williamson Jennifer,
Love Pat M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report identifying the steps to take, with the help of a qualified home performance contractor, to seal unwanted air leaks while ensuring healthy levels of ventilation and avoiding sources of indoor air pollution.

Retrofitting the Southeast: The Cool Energy House

Author(s)
Puttagunta Srikanth,
Vijayakumar Gayathri,
Shapiro Carl,
Zoeller William
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report about a deep energy retrofit Cool Energy House.

Room Air Conditioners

Author(s)
Energy Saver,
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Web page providing an overview of room-level air conditioning systems such as window units and mini-splits.

Side-by-Side Testing of Water Heating Systems: Results from 2009 - 2010 Evaluation

Author(s)
Colon Carlos J,
Parker Danny S
Organization(s)
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report comparing the performance of seven differing types of residential water heating systems in a side-by-side test configuration over a full year period.

Sizing a New Water Heater

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
A website providing information on how to properly size a water heater based on tank size, volume, peak hour demand and other factors.

Small Wind Electric Systems

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
A website discussing the use of consumer-grade small electric wind systems such as turbines to lower energy costs.

Solar Water Heaters

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Website describing how solar water heaters -- also called solar domestic hot water systems -- can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water for your home.

Solar-Plus-Storage 101

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Webpage describing the basics of solar plus storage operations on homes.

Strategy Guideline: Accurate Heating and Cooling Load Calculations

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
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.

Strategy Guideline: Application of a Construction Quality Process to Existing Home Retrofits

Author(s)
Mallay David,
Del Bianco Marie
Organization(s)
Partnership for Home Innovation,
PHI,
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report following the evolution of the construction quality process from its development for new homes to its application construction of a HPH with enhanced specifications, and its application in a crawlspace renovation.

Strategy Guideline: Compact Air Distribution Systems

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document covering the pros and cons of compact air distribution systems and the decision criteria that must be considered early in the whole-house design process.

Strategy Guideline: Demonstration Home

Author(s)
Savage C,
Hunt A
Organization(s)
Building America Retrofit Alliance,
BARA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report intending to provide useful information as the DOE/BA develops and implements comprehensive communications and outreach strategies for demonstration homes.

Strategy Guideline: Energy Retrofits for Low-Rise Multifamily Buildings in Cold Climates

Author(s)
Brozyna Kevin,
Badger Leslie
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation,
VEIC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document explaining the benefits of evaluating and identifying energy efficiency retrofit measures that could be made during renovation and maintenance of multifamily buildings.

Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting

Author(s)
Holton James
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document offering methods to greatly reduce lighting energy use through the application of high quality fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) technologies.

Strategy Guideline: HVAC Equipment Sizing

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing the equipment selection of a split system air conditioner and furnace for an example house in Chicago, Illinois, as well as a heat pump system for an example house in Orlando, Florida.

Strategy Guideline: Mitigation of Retrofit Risk Factors

Author(s)
Berman Mark,
Smith Pepper,
Porse Erik
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document targeting retrofit program managers, retrofit contractors, policy makers, academic researchers, and non-governmental organizations that work to realize energy savings from home energy upgrades (HEUs).

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
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.

Strategy Guideline: Proper Water Heater Selection

Author(s)
Staller J,
Springer David,
German Alea,
Hoeschele Marc,
Zhang Y
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Davis Energy Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report about proper water heater selection developed to provide step-by-step procedures for evaluating preferred cost-effective options for energy efficient water heater alternatives based on local utility rates, climate, and anticipated loads.

Strategy Guideline: Quality Management in Existing Homes

Author(s)
Taggart Jim,
Sikora Jeannie,
Wiehagen Joseph,
Wood Amber
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study providing a comparison of selected retrofit activity typically done, versus that same retrofit activity approached from an integrated high performance remodeling and quality management perspective.

Strategy Guideline: Transitioning HVAC Companies to Whole House Performance Contractors

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing findings from research related to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) companies that have made the decision to transition to whole house performance contracting (WHPC).