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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 1 - 35 of 35

A Plug-and-Play Duct System Evaluation

Author(s)
Beach Robert,
Grisolia Anthony,
Dickson Bruce,
Poerschke Andrew,
Rapport Ari
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Publication Date
Report describing an air distribution system composed of a series of uniformly-sized ducts that terminate in rooms throughout the home and return to a central manifold, similar in fashion to a “home-run” cross-linked polyethylene plumbing system.

Community-Wide Zero Energy Ready Home Standard

Author(s)
Herk Anastasia,
Beggs Timothy
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Report outlining the steps developers can take to create high-performance standards on a community-wide scale.

Exterior Insulation Implications on Heating and Cooling in Cold Climates

Author(s)
Herk Anastasia,
Poerschke Andrew
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Publication Date
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is interested in finding cost-effective solutions for deep energy retrofits (DERs) related to exterior wall insulation in a cold climate, with targets of 50% peak load reduction and 50% space conditioning energy savings.

Distribution and Room Air Mixing Risks to Retrofitted Homes

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Publication Date
Report outlining the issues with using existing ducts with a new low-load HVAC system, which reduces throw at supply registers causing decreased mixing of supply and room air, leading to potential thermal comfort complaints.

Duct System Flammability and Air Sealing Fire Separation Assemblies in the International Residential Code

Author(s)
Prahl Duncan,
Rudd Armin
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report identifying two barriers that limit the ability of builders to explore opportunities for higher levels of energy efficiency in housing: the use of duct system materials that inherently achieve airtightness and are right-sized for low-load houses, and, the ability to air seal fire separation...

Analysis of Pre-Retrofit Building and Utility Data

Author(s)
Prahl Duncan,
Beach Robert
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS
Publication Date
Report outlining workflow and results of regression models on monthly and daily utility data (meter readings of electricity consumption), outlining a process for screening and gathering useful results from inverse models.

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.

Comfort and HVAC Performance for a New Construction Occupied Test House in Roseville, California

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report summarizing one year of monitoring and analysis of the effectiveness of a space conditioning system at maintaining temperature and relative humidity levels in a test home, as well as room-to-room differences and the actual measured energy consumption by the space conditioning system.

Commissioning of the Fresno, California, Retrofit Unoccupied Test House

Author(s)
Stecher Dave,
Imm C
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report about instrumentation and limited short-term testing completed on a retrofit unoccupied test house in Fresno, California.

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: 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.

Guide to Closing and Conditioning Ventilated Crawlspaces

Author(s)
Dickson Bruce
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report explaining the issues and concerns with conventional ventilated crawlspaces and to outline prescriptive measures for improvements that will create healthier and more durable spaces.

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.

Long-Term Results: New Construction Occupied Test House, Urbana, Illinois

Author(s)
Stecher Dave,
Allison Katherine
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report about a two-year study intended to document the energy performance of a house in each sub-metered area and compare the performance to modeled predictions and to assess the thermal comfort performance of the single point mini-split heat pump.

Long-Term Results from Evaluation of Advanced New Construction Packages in Test Homes: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Author(s)
Stecher Dave,
Allison Katherine,
Prahl Duncan
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report presenting a cold climate project that examines the relationships among energy efficient single-family residential thermal enclosures, room-to-room temperature variations, and simplified space conditioning systems.

Measure Guideline: Transitioning to a Tankless Water Heater

Author(s)
Brozyna Kevin,
Rapport Ari
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document developed to help residential builders and retrofitters transition from tank-type water heaters to tankless water heaters.

Results From Development of Model Specifications for Multifamily Energy Retrofits

Author(s)
Brozyna Kevin
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report describing how modification of model specifications to include guidance on energy efficiency measures can create a greater level of consistency in executing energy efficiency retrofit measures across the multiple regions where a developer may work.

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).

Measure Guideline: Transitioning From Three-Coat Stucco to One-Coat Stucco With EPS

Author(s)
Brozyna Kevin,
Rapport Ari,
Davis Graham
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document developed to help residential new construction builders transition from using a three-coat stucco system to a one-coat stucco system installed over 1 in. of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation.

Measure Guideline: Air Sealing Mechanical Closets in Slab-on-Grade Homes

Author(s)
Dickson Bruce
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Document covering two fundamental retrofit strategies for air sealing around air handling systems that are located within the living space in an enclosed closet.

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: 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.

Low-Cost Evaluation of Energy Savings at the Community Scale, Fresno California

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan,
Rapport Ari,
Poerschke Andrew
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
Wathen Castanos Hybrid Homes,
WCHH,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report using a field test plan to evaluate the success of implementing energy efficiency upgrades at the community scale incorporating whole-house systems integrated measures package (SIMP).

Residential Ground Source Heat Pumps with Integrated Domestic Hot Water Generation: Performance Results from Long-Term Monitoring

Author(s)
Stecher Dave,
Allison Katherine
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers,
ASHRAE
Publication Date
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.

Advanced Strategy Guideline: Air Distribution Basics and Duct Design

Author(s)
Burdick Arlan
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Document providing guideance and considerations for duct design in an energy efficient house.

Measure Guideline: Water Management at Tub and Shower Assemblies

Author(s)
Dickson Bruce
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report covering the fundamental waterproofing strategies for tub and shower assemblies.

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

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

Performance Evaluation and Opportunity Assessment for St. Bernard Project

Author(s)
Dickson Bruce
Organization(s)
Integrated Building and Construction Solutions,
IBACOS,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report providing information about improving the energy efficiency and long-term durability of the buildings that are being reconstructed post Katrina in New Orleans.

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.