Library | Building America Solution Center

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 - 16 of 16

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

December, 2014

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...

Cost Analysis of Roof-Only Air Sealing and Insulation Strategies on 1 1/2-Story Homes in Cold Climates

Author(s)

Ojczyk Cindy

Organization(s)

University of Minnesota,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

NothernSTAR

Publication Date

December, 2014

Report exploring alternative methods to find long-term solutions to energy loss in 1 ½-story homes to save energy, improve comfort, prevent frost buildup on the underside of the roof deck, and reduce the risk of ice dam formation/reformation.

Reducing Energy Use in Existing Homes by 30%: Learning From Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

Author(s)

Liaukus Christine

Organization(s)

Building America Research Alliance,

BARA,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

December, 2014

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.

Conway Street Apartments: A Multifamily Deep Energy Retrofit

Author(s)

Aldrich Robb,

Williamson Jim

Organization(s)

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB

Publication Date

November, 2014

Research report anayzing the results of a large retrofit project, turining an old school into near zero energy consumption apartments in Greenfield MA.

Sunnyvale Marine Climate Deep Retrofit

Author(s)

German Alea,

Siddiqi Aqdus,

Dakin Bill

Organization(s)

Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,

ARBI,

Davis Energy Group,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

November, 2014

Research project evaluating the pre-and post-retrofit energy consumption of a marine climate retrofit, compare actual energy use to original predictions, and identify opportunities for cost savings in other similar retrofits in this climate.

Evaluation of the Performance of Houses with and without Supplemental Dehumidification in a Hot-Humid Climate

Author(s)

Norton Paul,

Kerrigan Philip

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

Mountain Energy Partnership

Publication Date

October, 2014

In this report, BSC seeks to research and report on the field monitoring of the performance of in-situ supplemental dehumidification systems in low-energy, high performance, homes in a hot-humid climate.

Measure Guideline: Supplemental Dehumidification in Warm-Humid Climates

Author(s)

Rudd Armin

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

October, 2014

Report describing solutions for supplemental dehumidification in warm-humid climates.

Excavationless: Exterior-Side Foundation Insulation for Existing Homes, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Author(s)

University of Minnesota

Organization(s)

UMN,

NorthernSTAR,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

September, 2014

Case study describing novel technique for installing exterior spray foam on foundation walls that uses high-pressure water sprayer and a “hydro vac” to remove dirt along the foundation wall.

Evaluation of Crawlspace Retrofits in Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)

Rudd Armin

Organization(s)

Building Science Corporation,

BSC,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

September, 2014

Report analyzing results in crawlspace retrofits in multifamily buildings.

Evaluation of Ventilation Strategies in New Construction Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)

Maxwell Sean,

Berger David,

Zuluaga Marc

Organization(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

July, 2014

Report describing research that helps inform best practices for air-sealing multifamily buildings in the Northeast.

Mini-Split Heat Pumps Multifamily Retrofit Feasibility Study

Author(s)

Dentz Jordan,

Henderson Hugh,

Podorson David

Organization(s)

Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,

ARIES,

Levy Partnership,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL

Publication Date

May, 2014

This report investigates whether mini-split heat pumps can live up to their potential for one market segment: multifamily retrofits.

Air Distribution Retrofit Strategies for Affordable Housing

Author(s)

Dentz Jordan,

Conlin Francis,

Holloway Parker,

Podorson David,

Varshney Kapil

Organization(s)

Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,

ARIES,

Levy Partnership,

National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

NREL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

March, 2014

Report describing two retrofit duct sealing techniques - manually-applied sealants and injecting a spray sealant, that were implemented in several low-rise multi-unit buildings in North Carolina.

Measure Guideline: Selecting Ventilation Systems for Existing Homes

Author(s)

Aldrich Robb

Organization(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

Steven Winter Associates,

SWA,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

February, 2014

This document addresses adding—or improving—mechanical ventilation systems to existing homes. The purpose of ventilation is to remove contaminants from homes either directly or by dilution. This report discusses where, when, and how much ventilation is appropriate in a home, including some...

Evaluation of Ventilation Strategies in New Construction Multifamily Building

Author(s)

Maxwell Sean,

Berger David,

Zaluga M

Organization(s)

Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,

CARB,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

January, 2014

Technical report describing the evaluation of four different ventilation strategies for providing make-up air in high-performance, new construction multifamily buildings in the Northeast, emphasizing the challenges posed by increasing airtightness standards and the variability of system performance...

Evaluation of Retrofit Variable-Speed Furnace Fan Motors

Author(s)

Aldrich Robb,

Williamson Jim

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

January, 2014

Report detailing the effects of replacing PSC motors with more efficient, variable-speed motors.

Reducing Residential Peak Electricity Demand with Mechanical Pre-Cooling of Building Thermal Mass

Author(s)

Walker Iain S,

Roux Jordan,

Turner William JN

Organization(s)

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL,

U.S. Department of Energy,

DOE

Publication Date

January, 2014

This study used an advanced airflow, energy and humidity modeling tool to evaluate the potential for residential mechanical pre-scooling strategies to reduce peak electriciy demand.