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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 101 - 150 of 164

Measure Guideline: Air Conditioner Diagnostics, Maintenance, and Replacement

Author(s)
Springer David,
Dakin Bill
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group
Publication Date
Document providing information on the impact of various defects and the potential energy savings that can result from proper maintenance, and describing a two-step process for diagnosing and correcting faults. This document is targeted towards home performance contractors who are relatively...

Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump Comfort Evaluation

Author(s)
Roth Kurt,
Sehgal N,
Akers Craig
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems,
Fraunhofer CSE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
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

Energy Retrofit Field Study and Best Practices in a Hot-Humid Climate

Author(s)
Martin Eric,
Sutherland Karen,
McIlvaine Janet E R
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC
Publication Date
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.

Hood River Passive House

Author(s)
Hales David
Organization(s)
WSU Extension Energy Programs,
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC
Publication Date
Report documenting short-term test results of the Shift House and compares the results of Passive House Planning Package and Building Energy Optimization modeling of the project.

Laboratory Evaluation of Gas-Fired Tankless and Storage Water Heater Approaches to Combination Water and Space Heating

Author(s)
Kingston T,
Scott S
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy
Publication Date
Report summarizing results of testing emerging combo water heating technologies under controlled laboratory operations, that differentiate the performance of the various packaged equipment configurations being offered.

Building America Expert Meeting: Combustion Safety

Author(s)
Brand Larry
Organization(s)
Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit,
PARR,
Gas Technology Institute,
GTI Energy,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
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...

Approaches to 30% Energy Savings at the Community Scale in the Hot-Humid Climate

Author(s)
Thomas-Rees Stephanie,
Beal David,
Martin Eric,
Fonorow Ken
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
Florida HERO,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
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.

Comparison of Home Retrofit Programs in Wisconsin

Author(s)
Cunningham Kerrie,
Hannigan Eileen
Organization(s)
University of Minnesota,
UMN,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
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.

Side-by-Side Testing of Water Heating Systems: Results from the 2010 - 2011 Evaluation

Author(s)
Colon Carlos J,
Parker Danny S
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Document about testing of seven water heating systems in the Hot Water Systems laboratory in central Florida.

Variability in Measured Space Temperatures in 60 Homes

Author(s)
Roberts David,
Lay Kerylyn
Organization(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
EnerNOC
Publication Date
Report discussing the measured variability in indoor space temperatures in a set of 60 homes located in Florida, New York, Oregon, and Washington.

TaC Studios New Construction Test House

Author(s)
Butler Tom,
Curtis O,
Kim E,
Roberts S,
Stephenson R
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL,
Southface,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report evaluating a test home built in Atlanta, GA in the mixed-humid climate zone. The report outlines the features of the house, discusses the implementation of the energy efficient design, and presents the results of short-term characterization testing.

Reduce Ice Dam and Icicle Damage

Author(s)
Hellevang Kenneth
Organization(s)
North Dakota State University,
NDSU
Publication Date
Webpage explaining how to mitigate heat loss through roofs for ice dam prevention.

Measured Cooling Performance and Potential for Buried Duct Condensation in a 1991 Central Florida Retrofit Home

Author(s)
Chasar Dave,
Withers Charles R
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study analyzing measured energy savings from a moderate retrofit by comparing post-retrofit performance with measured pre-retrofit monitored data.

Excavationless Exterior Foundation Insulation Exploratory Study

Author(s)
Mosiman Garrett,
Wagner Terence L,
Schirber Tom
Organization(s)
NorthernSTAR,
University of Minnesota,
U.S. Department of Labor,
DOE
Publication Date
Research study searching for combinations of existing technologies that could enable a minimally invasive, cost-competitive, easily deployable method of upgrading soil-side foundation insulation in existing buildings.

Expert Meeting Report: Energy Savings You Can Bank On

Author(s)
Berman Mark,
Springer Jeremy,
Smith Pepper,
Porse Erik
Organization(s)
Alliance for Residential Building Innovation,
ARBI,
Davis Energy Group,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Expert meeting on the topic of performance guarantees and financing vehicles for energy efficiency upgrades.

Greenbelt Homes Pilot Energy Efficiency Programs Phase 1 Summary: Existing Conditions and Baseline Energy Use

Author(s)
Wiehagen Joseph,
Del Bianco Marie,
Wood Amber
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report detailing field walk-through evaluations, energy simulations for projected savings with exterior insulation upgrades, building envelope energy improvement cost estimates, and installation and maintenance of monitoring equipment and data.

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.

Short-Term Test Results: Transitional Housing Energy Efficiency Retrofit in the Hot Humid Climate

Author(s)
Sutherland Karen,
Martin Eric
Organization(s)
Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction,
BA-PIRC,
Florida Solar Energy Center,
FSEC,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report evaluating the renovation of a 5,800-ft2, multiuse facility located in St. Petersburg, on the west coast of central Florida, in the hot-humid climate.

2009 International Energy Conservation Code - IECC

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
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...

Evaluating Ventilation Systems for Existing Homes

Author(s)
Aldrich Robb,
Arena Lois
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 the evaluation and selection of ventilation systems for homes retrofitted for energy aesthetic and health/safety improvements in Las Vegas.

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.

Residential Best Practices Criteria, Info-001

Author(s)
Building Science Corporation
Organization(s)
BSC
Publication Date
Document containing some of the basic characteristics for energy performance, durability, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality that should be met in all high performance homes.

Where Tornadoes Happen

Author(s)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Center for Science Education
Organization(s)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Center for Science Education
Publication Date
A heat map showing the average number of tornadoes per year across the United States

ADC Flexible Duct Performance & Installation Standards

Author(s)
Air Duct Council
Organization(s)
ADC
Publication Date
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.

Building Plans for Advanced Framing

Author(s)
Green Building Advisor
Organization(s)
Green Building Advisor
Publication Date
Website providing CAD files and drawings of advanced framing details.

Energy Efficient Crawlspace Foundation Retrofit: Mixed Humid Climate

Author(s)
Del Bianco Marie,
Wiehagen Joseph,
Wood Amber
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
Home Innovation Research Labs,
HIRL,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report outlining the steps of translating a new home construction scope of work (SOW) to SOW for retrofit.

Expert Meeting: Optimized Heating Systems Using Condensing Boilers and Baseboard Convectors

Author(s)
Arena Lois
Organization(s)
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings,
CARB,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
Steven Winter Associates,
SWA
Publication Date
Expert meeting held to review and discuss results and future plans for research to improve the performance of hydronic heating systems using condensing boilers and baseboard convectors.

External Insulation of Masonry Walls and Wood Framed Walls

Author(s)
Baker Peter
Organization(s)
Building Science Corporation,
BSC,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Research study developing baseline engineering analysis to support the installation of thick layers of exterior insulation (2 in. to 8 in.) on existing masonry walls and wood framed walls.

Extension Foundation - A Partner to Cooperative Extension

Author(s)
Extension Foundation
Organization(s)
Extension Foundation,
Cooperative Extension,
New Technologies for Agricultural Extension,
NTAE
Publication Date
Homepage for Extension Foundation, a partner of the Cooperative Extension System, whose goal is providing an interactive learning environment delivering the best, most researched knowledge from the best land-grant university minds across America.

Snow Load Safety Guide, FEMA P-957

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Report informing building stakeholders about the risks a snow event poses to their buildings, preventative measures to take before the snow season, and actions that should be taken before, during, and after a snow event.

Foundation Design Handbook

Author(s)
Carmody John,
Mosiman Garrett,
Handeen Daniel,
Huelman Patrick H,
Christian Jeffrey E
Organization(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
ORNL,
University of Minnesota
Publication Date
Handbook providing guidance on the design and construction of foundations for homes, including insulation, air sealing, and water management details for basements, crawlspaces, and slabs.

Mitigation Ideas: A Resource for Reducing Risk to Natural Hazards

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Report providing a resource that communities can use to identify and evaluate a range of potential mitigation actions for reducing risk to natural hazards and disasters.

Cold Climate Building Enclosure Solutions

Author(s)
Fallahi Ali,
Shukla Nitin,
Kosny Jan
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer CSE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
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.

Comfort, Indoor Air Quality, and Energy Consumption in Low Energy Homes

Author(s)
Tiefenbeck Verena,
Roth Kurt,
Engelmann P
Organization(s)
Fraunhofer CSE,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL,
U.S. Department of Energy,
DOE
Publication Date
Report documenting the results of an in-depth evaluation of thermal comfort for two potential net zero-energy homes (NZEHs) in Massachusetts.

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.

High-R Walls for New Construction Structural Performance: Wind Pressure Testing

Author(s)
Desjarlais Andre O,
Kochkin Vladimir
Organization(s)
NAHB Research Center,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
NREL
Publication Date
Report with test results that serve as a baseline of data for further material tests of other high-R wall systems and for comparison to whole-house wind pressure testing.

Mortgage Industry National Home Energy Rating Standards

Author(s)
RESNET
Organization(s)
RESNET
Publication Date
RESNET standards aimed to ensure that accurate and consistent home energy ratings are performed by accredited home energy rating providers through their raters nationwide.

NFPA 225: Model Manufactured Home Installation Standard

Author(s)
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
NFPA
Publication Date
Standard for installing manufactured homes, including specifications and procedures, for installation of utility connections of a manufactured home.

Pump Day Procedures

Author(s)
ICF Systems
Organization(s)
Massachusetts Building Products
Publication Date
Information sheet including a checklist of steps to follow for pouring concrete.