Library

2009 edition of code establishing a baseline for energy efficiency by setting performance standards for the building envelope (defined as the boundary that separates heated/cooled air from unconditioned, outside air), mechanical systems, lighting systems and service water heating systems in homes...

2009 edition of code establishing minimum regulations for mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, ducts, fireplaces, combustion and hydronic systems, using prescriptive and performance-related provisions.

Case study providing homeowners guidance on installing window air conditioners.

Information sheet about unvented fireplaces and combustion safety.

Standard covering sizing strategies for all types of cooling and heating equipment, as well as how to use comprehensive manufacturer’s performance data on sensible, latent, or heating capacity for various operating conditions.

Standard for use and reference by designers, architects, engineers, contractors, installers and users for evaluating, selecting, specifying and properly installing flexible duct in heating and air conditioning systems.

Report describing approaches to using less wood in home building that minimize waste.

Fact sheet describing advanced wall framing.

Article describing recessed lighting, which if installed incorrectly may contribute to air leakage and compromise building envelope efficiency.

Report that collected field data from a whole-home program in Illinois are utilized to compare marketplace-installed measures to the energy saving optimal packages previously developed for 15 housing types.

Webpage describing different types of appliance thermometers, how they work, and how they should be used by homeowners.

Report covering moisture and leakage issues associated with spray foam insulation application to the underside of roof sheathing.

Report describing partner approaches to achieving the Building America goal of 30% whole-house source energy savings using packages adopted at the community scale, using building projects in Florida as a reference.

Report focused on foundation insulation R-values for cold climates and the design, construction, and performance implications.

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.

Report describing approaches to insulating basements in homes built to meet Energy Star levels of performance of heat loss reduction.

Fact sheet describing basement insulation considerations.

Report summarizing commissioning, short-term testing, utility bill data analysis, and results of on-site monitoring of a deep energy retrofit.

Information sheet providing details on the vapor permeance of different types of materials used in building assemblies.

Case study about Artistic Homes of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the first home builder in the United States to offer true net zero energy construction to the average home buyer on every home it builds.

Expert meeting focusing on identifying gaps and barriers in combustion safety that need to be addressed by future research, and to develop data-driven technical recommendations for code updates so that a common approach for combustion safety can be adopted by all members of the building energy...

Guidance document providing BA research teams and partners with specific information and approaches to identifying and overcoming potential barriers to Building America (BA) innovations arising in and/or stemming from codes, standards, and rating methods.

Fact sheet describing research sponsored by DOE's Building America program to research the importance of attic air-sealing and best practice attic air-sealing techniques for new and existing homes.

Document containing recommendations on how to brace roofs and gable end walls based on lessons learned from analyzing the destruction from hurricane Andrew.

Website providing CAD files and drawings of advanced framing details.

Reference investigating the strategy of using buried and/or encapsulated ducts to reduce duct thermal losses in residential buildings.

Report describing a deep energy retrofit project for a two-family wood framed home located in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Report describing findings from a multifamily test home focusing on the combination of energy measures that are feasible, affordable and suitable for multifamily construction in cold climates.

Information sheet containing images and descriptions of cantilevers.

Report recording the results of a field study conducted in a single historic home in Seattle, Washington, to document the performance of Indow Windows' interior storm window inserts.

Research study investigating the energy performance and cost effectiveness of several state-of-the-art retrofit strategies that could be used in residential houses in the Boston and New England area.

Research study describing an experimental and theoretical investigation of the energy and hygrothermal performance of retrofit foundation insulation systems in climate zones 6 and 7.

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.

Report documenting the results of an in-depth evaluation of thermal comfort for two potential net zero-energy homes (NZEHs) in Massachusetts.

Report about instrumentation and limited short-term testing completed on a retrofit unoccupied test house in Fresno, California.

Study investigating measured cooling energy performance in side-by-side identical homes with varying roof types, including cool roof technologies.

Research report providing a comparison of the most common residential water heating technologies to determine energy-efficient and cost-effective water heating technologies are when subjected to a variety of typical operating conditions.

Research study comparing various retrofit models in Wisconsin to evaluate performance in terms of savings per home and program cost per home to assess the relative cost effectiveness of each program design.

Document presenting step-by-step process for installing rigid insulating sheathing over wood studs or house wrap.

Study reporting the results of comparative testing of the effect of finished and unfinished metal roofing systems on cooling energy performance in a test facility.

Report focusing on building envelopes that have been enhanced with phase change materials (PCMs), which can simultaneously reduce total cooling loads and shift peak-hour loads.

Report describing the progress toward and issues related to developing a usable, standardized, empirical data-based software accuracy test suite.

Report presenting a parametric analysis using a numerical model of a new concept in desiccant and evaporative air conditioning.

This study focuses on the design, construction, and performance of the interior chase approach as implemented by five different builders in Texas, North Carolina, and Florida.

Article from Green Building Advisor on strategies to take when building homes to reduce the need for air conditioning, including insulation, windows, site selection, and roofing.

Research report with results from field tests in two homes in Austin, Texas, from October 2011 to June 2012 to evaluate the comfort performance of ductless mini-split heat pumps

Report demonstrating how the initiative achieves Building America (BA) goals of 30%-50% energy savings in multifamily dwellings in the hot-humid climate zone.

Journal article presenting a discussion of the state-of-the- art in electricity management in smart homes, the various enabling technologies that will accelerate this concept, and topics around consumer behavior with respect to energy usage.

Report outlining the steps of translating a new home construction scope of work (SOW) to SOW for retrofit.

Research study examining efficiency retrofit opportunities, typical renovation practices, and pathways for achieving U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) goals for existing homes in Florida.