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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 324

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.

Assessing the Energy Savings of Tankless Water Heater Retrofits in Public Housing

Author(s)
Dwiantoro Deny,
Walters R,
Ries R
Organization(s)
Building Energy Efficient Homes for America,
BEEHA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report describing methodology, analysis, and findings from a case study of a 110-unit retrofit of gas tankless water heaters in a hot/humid climate in Alachua County, Florida.

Measure Guideline: Wood Window Repair, Rehabilitation, and Replacement

Author(s)
Baker Peter
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document providing information and guidance about rehabilitating, retrofitting, and replacing wood window assemblies in residential construction.

Field Evaluation of Programmable Thermostats

Author(s)
Sachs Olga,
Tiefenbeck Verena,
Duvier Caroline,
Qin Angela,
Cheney Kate,
Akers Craig,
Roth Kurt
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,
Fraunhofer CSE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study evaluating a low-cost and scalable way to reduce heating energy consumption using the energy-saving features of programmable thermostats (i.e., automatic daytime and nighttime setbacks).

Newporter Apartments: Deep Energy Retrofit Short-Term Results

Author(s)
Gordon Andrew,
Howard Luke,
Kunkle Rick,
Lubliner Michael,
Auer Dan,
Clegg Zach
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report demonstrating cost-effective energy savings targets as well as improved comfort and indoor environmental quality associated with deep energy retrofits by a large public housing authority as part of a larger rehabilitation effort.

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.

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: 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.

Super Energy Efficient Design (S.E.E.D.) Home Evaluation

Author(s)
German Alea,
Dakin Bill,
Backman Christine,
Weitzel Elizabeth,
Springer David
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study determining how well high performance envelope and innovative cooling system interact to cost effectively reduce cooling energy use in this hot-dry climate.

Test Methods and Protocols for Environmental and Safety Hazards Associated with Home Energy Retrofits

Author(s)
Viner James E,
Pearce M,
Cautley Dan,
Lord M
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership,
NorthernSTAR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
University of Minnesota,
UMN,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report using data from various sources to characterize the impact on human health and property damage from indoor environmental quality and other hazards.

Cost Effectiveness of Home Energy Retrofits in Pre-Code Vintage Homes in the United States

Author(s)
Fairey Philip W,
Parker Danny S
Organization(s)
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
Publication Date
Research study examining the opportunities for cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits in residential archetypes constructed before 1980 (Pre-Code) in 14 U.S. cities.

Cost Effectiveness of Home Energy Retrofits in Pre-Code Vintage Homes in the United States

Author(s)
Fairey Philip W,
Parker Danny S
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE,
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report describing the analytical study of renewable energy retrofits to homes built before 1980 and whether it is cost efficient or not.

Survey of Whole House Programs in Midwestern Climates

Author(s)
McGeough U,
Baker Will,
Peters J,
Beitel Annette
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study making several recommendations to whole-home program designers and implementers for improving the cost effectiveness and reach of whole-home programs.

Achieving Very High Efficiency and Net Zero Energy in an Existing Home in a Hot-Humid Climate: Long-Term Utility and Monitoring Data

Author(s)
Parker Danny S,
Sherwin John S
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study describing how envelope modifications in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and domestic hot water and renewable resources can result in considerable energy reductions, using the first full year of detailed data collected about a single-family home that experienced a series...

Developing an Energy Performance Modeling Startup Kit

Author(s)
Wood Amber
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report identifying business models for the remodeling industry that foster remodelers adoption of energy efficiency services.

Evaluation of Northern Illinois Residential Retrofit Delivery Practices

Author(s)
Brand Larry,
Kerr Ryan,
Rowley Patricia
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
MEEA,
CNT Energy,
Elevate Energy,
Future Energy Enterprises,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document reviewing four cold-climate northern Illinois energy efficiency retrofit programs to identify practices, tools, and approaches to streamline and reduce costs of comprehensive retrofits, and to improve the consistency of audit and retrofit delivery practices across different programs.

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.

Air Leakage Testing and Air Sealing in Existing Multifamily Units

Author(s)
Dentz Jordan,
Conlin Francis
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Study identifying common air leakage pathways in one type of low-rise multifamily building common in mixed-humid climates.

2011 EnergyValue Housing Award Report

Author(s)
Del Bianco Marie,
Sagan D,
Wood Amber
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
National Association of Home Builders Research Center,
NAHBRC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report assessing the energy performance of the 2011 EVHA winners and to align the EVHA program with the BA program.

Winchester/Camberley Homes New Construction Test House Design, Construction, and Short-Term Testing in a Mixed-Humid Climate

Author(s)
Wiehagen Joseph,
Mallay David,
Wood Amber
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center Industry Partnership,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report outlining the features of a test house built in Silver Spring , Maryland, and discussing the implementation of the energy efficient design, and reports on the short-term testing results.

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.

Measured Performance of Occupied, Side-by-Side, South Texas Homes

Author(s)
Chasar Dave,
vonSchramm Valerie
Organization(s)
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
Publication Date
Report summarizing a case study about the performance of three occupied homes built in 2009 in San Antonio, Texas.

Energy Impacts of Nonlinear Behavior of PCM When Applied into Building Envelope

Author(s)
Tabares-Velasco Paulo Cesar
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study analyzing the effects a nonlinear enthalpy profile has on thermal performance and expected energy benefits for PCM-enhanced insulation.

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.

Assessment of the U.S. Department of Energy's Home Energy Scoring Tool

Author(s)
Roberts David,
Merket Noel,
Heaney Mike,
Casey Sean,
Robertson Joseph,
Polly Benjamin
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report assessing the accuracy of HEST as it was being developed and to provide information useful to DOE program managers and HEST development team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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.

Energy Savers: Geothermal Heat Pumps

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Online reference containing general information about geothermal heat pumps.

Laboratory Testing of Aerosol for Enclosure Air Sealing

Author(s)
Modera Mark,
Harrington Curtis
Organization(s)
Western Cooling Efficiency Center - UC Davis,
Building Industry Research Alliance,
BIRA,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study to help development of an application protocol for aerosol sealing of building shells that will eventually be demonstrated on buildings in retrofit and new construction.

Energy Renovations Insulation - A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners, Volume 17

Author(s)
Baechler Michael C,
Adams Karen T,
Hefty Marye G,
Gilbride Theresa L,
Love Pat M
Organization(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
PNNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document providing descriptions of the many insulation options available to homeowners, along with guidance on where, when, and how to install insulation throughout your house.

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.

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).

Types of Insulation

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Information sheet about types and installation of insulation.

Weatherstripping

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organization(s)
DOE
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing how weatherstripping can be an easy and cost-effective way to save money on energy costs and improve comfort by reducing drafts.

Evaluation of Boulder, CO, SmartRegs Ordinance and Better Buildings Programs

Author(s)
Arena Lois,
Vijayakumar Gayathri
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 summarizing CARB's analysis of Boulder, Colorado's SmartRegs ordinance in the existing home market.

Measure Guideline: Ventilation Cooling

Author(s)
Springer David,
Dakin Bill,
German Alea
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Davis Energy Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Guide describing proper application, design, and installation of mechanical ventilation cooling systems for homes located in hot-dry and cold-dry climates, as well as a means of understanding the benefits, costs, and tradeoffs of these systems.

Expert Meeting Report: Advanced Envelope Research for Factory Built Housing

Author(s)
Levy Emanuel,
Kessler B,
Rath Pournamasi,
Tompos Eric,
Mullens Michael A
Organization(s)
Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions,
ARIES,
Levy Partnership,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report about the Advanced Envelope Research effort will provide factory homebuilders with urgently-needed, cost effective methods for meeting emerging energy code requirements.

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.

Expert Meeting Report: Achieving the Best Installed Performance from High-Efficiency Residential Gas Furnaces

Author(s)
Brand Larry
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Expert meeting identifying installation practices that provide the best installed efficiency for residential gas furnaces, explain how AFUE and field efficiency can differ, and investigate the impact of installation practices on the efficiency and long-term durability of the furnace.

Upgrading Below Grade Spaces - Residential Energy Efficiency Stakeholder

Author(s)
Huelman Patrick H,
Breidenbach Sam,
Schirber Steve
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR,
University of Minnesota,
UMN,
NSTAR,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Presentation describing the challenges of insulating an existing basement, presented to the Building America residential energy-efficiency stakeholder meeting.

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.