Skip to main content
EERE » BTO » Building America » Solution Center Home » Research Tracker

Research Tracker

This tool is intended for researchers and program managers to quickly find research projects around the country that are relevant to their work. The four organizations who provided content for this purpose represent the largest energy efficient buildings research portfolios in the country. These organizations each provided the content that they were comfortable sharing publically. Therefore, upon clicking on a particular project, it is possible that certain pieces of content are not present. Where possible, a point of contact is provided so that specific questions can be directed to that person. We welcome your comments! If you would like to provide any feedback on this tool (positive or constructive) please email basc@pnnl.gov.

Showing results 1 - 50 of 70

A "Plug-n-Play" Air Delivery System for Low-Load Homes and Evaluation of a Residential Thermal Comfort Rating Method

IBACOS will investigate a simplified residential air delivery system to resolve comfort issues reported in low-load, production-built homes. This project could result in state-of-the-art comfort distribution systems, as well as a thermal comfort metric that helps builders and HVAC contractors measure and communicate the value of improved comfort delivery systems.

Assessing the Market and Space-Conditioning Needs of Low-Load Homes

High performance, low-load homes face unique space conditioning challenges that are not adequately addressed by HVAC design practices and equipment offerings. Equipment manufacturers have yet to include a diverse set of low-capacity equipment in their product offerings due to a lack of understanding of (1) where the low-load home market is headed and (2) the load profiles typical to low-load homes. This project looks to address both of these information gaps and ultimately send the necessary low-capacity equipment market signals to manufacturers, enabling them to design better products to meet production builder needs. The team will develop a technical whitepaper and presentation on the performance and cost tradeoffs of various equipment types/systems at meeting the comfort requirements of low-load homes, and forecasting the market penetration and equipment needs for these low-load homes.

Baseline Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Field Study in Occupied New U.S. Homes: Hot-Humid and Mixed-Humid Climates

This project is part of a national study aimed at characterizing indoor air quality in occupied homes. The homes will be up to current energy codes, and researchers will closely monitor the use and performance of mechanical ventilation systems in those homes. Indoor and outdoor air will be sampled for formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and particulates as part of the indoor air quality characterization.

Bench Test for Inverter Driven Package Terminal Heat Pump

During BPA's 2016 Multifamily Technical Advisory Group, this technology was evaluated and recommended for future research. BPA is joining with NEEA and Ecotope to conduct a bench test to determine if this will be a viable alternative to conduct future field tests in the Pacific Northwest. The bench test will be document the system performance and noise levels to determine if the unit is ready for more lab and field tests.

Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Constructions

The University of Central Florida will demonstrate and validate energy-efficient residential ventilation and space conditioning systems. Advanced whole-house residential construction practices can achieve 50% energy savings compared to houses built to code in hot/humid climates.

Case Study on Cold Climate Heat Pump Performance

This project picks up on an ET project with long-term performance monitoring of a cold climate heat pump in Fairbanks, AK. In the United States, approximately 14.4 million dwellings use electricity for heating in cold and very cold regions, consuming 0.16 quads of energy annually. A high-performance cold climate heat pump (CCHP) can result in significant savings over current technologies (greater than 70% compared to strip heating) and in annual primary energy savings of 0.1 quads when fully deployed, which is equivalent to a reduction of 5.9 million tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions. A case study will be created for submission to the Building America Solution Center that documents how the equipment performed during the field study, including estimated HSPF and SEER ratings for this type of technology in order to provide a reference for comparison to existing equipment.

ClearStak Technology Integration with Thermo-Control Wood Burner

ClearStak will work with Heating Systems, LTD (Thermo-Control), a biomass-fired heating device manufacturer in Cobleskill, NY, to replace the existing controls on the Model 600 wood burner with non-proprietary components and software. This will be completed using their existing Intelligent Biomass Controller (IBC) to optimize combustion efficiency. The IBC allows for wireless connectivity, giving end-users access to remote monitoring capabilities, data reports, and alert notifications. Following the successful modifications to the system and the integration of the IBC, the entire system shall be tested using the Method 28WHH for Certification of Cord Wood-Fired Hydronic Heating Appliances With Partial Thermal Storage (Method 28 WHH-PTS) method at an EPA accredited testing laboratory. The project will be completed with UL testing and certification of the entire system, resulting in a commercial-ready product

CO2 Heat Pump Water Heater Market and Technical Assessment for Single Family Homes

Overall goal is to facilitate commercialization of this technology in the Pacific Northwest. This is a continuation of the previous and current work with the Sanden split system heat pump water heater (HPWH). Sanden will provide a UL listed version of its split system HPWH designed for marketing in the US with particular focus on the Pacific Northwest. This project will assess and report on the market readiness of this product after examining: 1) freeze protection strategy and operation for both power on (including circulation and heat tape) and power off; 2) tank port layout and threads from both water heating and combined space and water heating system perspectives; 3) electrical connections; 4) labeling; 5) documentation including user and installation manuals; 6) warranty and service provisions; 7) cost; 8) installation training materials and strategy; and 9) marketing and installation strategies.

cold climate air source heat pumps: market assessment and guidance for trades

NEEP conducted a market assessment of existing installer practices as well as existing guidance tools, protocols and resources specific to cold climates. Using the market assessment findings, NEEP developed ccashp design and installation guidance for trade contractors. The documents are developed to assist installers around sizing and selecting ASHPs for cold climate applications, while preserving high efficiency, performance, and customer satisfaction. HI Cat will cross-promote and link to the guidance.

Combined Space and Water CO2 Heat Pump System Performance Research for Efficiency and Demand Response

The Washington State University (WSU) Energy Program, in partnership with Cowlitz PUD, Energy Trust of Oregon (ETO), Idaho Power, Inland Power and Light, Northwest energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), Pacific Gas and Electric, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Mitsubishi Electric and Sanden International proposes to conduct research on two types of combined space and water heat pumps in field and controlled experiments in existing homes of various efficiencies and climates. One technology uses carbon dioxide (CO2) refrigerant and will be tested for performance at six field sites and at the PNNL lab homes for efficiency and demand response capability. The second technology uses a conventional refrigerant and combines ductless heat pump space heating and cooling technology with water heating and will be field tested at five locations in the region's hottest and coldest climates as well as in the marine coastal zone. Costs of system installation, monitoring and retrofit will be collected and analyzed.

Compact Thermoelastic Cooling System

Maryland Energy and Sensor Technologies, LLC will develop a compact, high-efficiency thermoelastic cooling system. This next-generation HVAC technology will have low environmental impact and a small carbon footprint and could lead to substantial efficiency gains in building heating and cooling.

Design, purchase, installation, and commissioning of an automated manufacturing system that will process raw steel into prepared components for the fabrication of high-efficiency, low-emissions, biomass-fired boilers.

Advanced Climate Technologies (ACT) is a manufacturer of fully automatic, high-efficiency, low-emission biomass-fired boilers, interested in expanding their manufacturing facility in Niskayuna, NY to include an automated manufacturing system. This project involves the design, purchase, installation, and commissioning of the automated manufacturing system. The automated manufacturing system will allow ACT to process raw steel into prepared components. This will include a state-of-the art multi-tiered automated process that will allow for the cutting, drilling, and nesting of ASME steel plate used for the vessel and component parts of the boiler. By increasing their manufacturing capabilities, the ACT will bring processes in-house that have thus far been subcontracted. This project will eliminate certain inefficiencies in the manufacturing value chain and reduce total manufacturing time for product improvement, cost, and waste. The cost savings will be passed to consumers, directly benefiting the biomass heating market and customers in NY.

Develop superwicking materials for indirect evaporative cooling system

UoR shall evaluate a new manufacturing process for producing lower cost superwicking materials. The wicking performance of the material produced with the new manufacturing process will be tested and compared to a wicking material produced using a laser surfacing technique.

Development and Testing of the Next Generation Residential Space Conditioning System for California

This project will develop a next-generation residential space-conditioning system optimized for California climates. The advanced efficiency solutions integrated into the HVAC system will include: variable-capacity compressor and variable-speed fans using state-of-the-art inverter technology; integrated ventilation to harness fresh air for "free cooling;" intelligent dual-fuel technology to decrease energy cost and empower consumers to choose between electricity and natural gas; zonal control to prevent conditioning of unoccupied rooms; demand-response interactivity to grid flexibility and reliability; advanced fault detection and diagnostics to ensure proper installation, operation, and maintenance; and alternative refrigerants for improved operation and significant reductions in the potential for global warming. How the Project Lead

Development of a high performance wood boiler

The project will seek to develop a residential and commercial logwood-fired boiler with the ability to modulate firing rates down to <10% of rated output while maintaining clean and efficient operation. The boiler will include high levels of insulation in both combustion chambers and preheating of combustion air to promote clean operation at low loads. Forced, multi-port injection and swirl mixing of secondary air similar to natural gas fired burners will be used. Certifications such as UL, CSA, and ASME will be sought.

Development of the Industry's First Smart Range Hood

Newport Partners, in partnership with Broan-NuTone, will develop and validate a smart range hood that senses pollutants and automatically operates to remove the contaminants efficiently. The proposed smart range hood will be quiet (<1 sone), five times more energy efficient than todays ENERGY STAR models, and will capture nearly 100% of pollutants.

Ductless Heat Pumps in Manufactured Homes, Multifamily, Single Family, Forced Air Furnace homes, and Small Commercial

The project is designed to test the ductless heat pump (DHP) in different applications. Fifty-one sites were installed to test different applications including single family, multifamily, manufactured homes , and small commercial across different climate zones. As part of the study, one year of data was collected through sub metering; and pre- and post-billing data were completed and analyzed for each site. Preliminary results have been promising for manufactured homes and single family homes with forced air furnace applications. The study was completed during the spring of 2013. Based on the findings of the study, Single Family and Manufactured Home applications provided sufficient energy savings to warrant presentation to the Regional Technical Forum as new measures in 2015. Both were given a provisional UES (deemed) measure status. DHPs in Manufactured Homes with zonal heat were given a Small Saver measure status.

Energy Efficient HVAC Packages for Existing Residential Buildings

This project will develop and demonstrate innovative pre-commercial, cost-effective retrofit packages for cooling and ventilating single family homes. Energy savings, occupant behavior and indoor air quality (IAQ) will be measured for two specific retrofit packages that each includes three innovative technologies: (1) building envelope sealing, (2) two variants of smart mechanical ventilation that include pre-cooling strategies, and (3) compressor-free evaporative air-conditioning. Furthermore, barriers and opportunities towards adoption of such retrofits will be identified through stakeholder interviews.

Energy Efficient HVAC Packages for Existing Residential Buildings

This project will develop and demonstrate innovative pre-commercial, cost-effective retrofit packages for cooling and ventilating single family homes. Energy savings, occupant behavior and indoor air quality (IAQ) will be measured for two specific retrofit packages that each includes three innovative technologies: (1) building envelope sealing, (2) two variants of smart mechanical ventilation that include pre-cooling strategies, and (3) compressor-free evaporative air-conditioning. Furthermore, barriers and opportunities towards adoption of such retrofits will be identified through stakeholder interviews.

Evaluation of cold-climate air-source heat pumps (ccASHPs)

SWA will evaluate the opportunities, savings potential, and limitations of ccASHPs in New York State homes. Improved energy modeling techniques will be developed for various tools. Guidelines will be developed describing ccASHP opportunities in NYS homes, including operating costs, installed costs, climate-dependent factors, low-temperature limitations, integration issues and possible limitations. Guidelines will also be developed for energy modelers to help accurately predict ccASHP performance with common modeling tools.

Field Tests for Ducted Minisplit in Single Family Applications

Ducted mini-splits are currently available for single family applications. Research is required to determine if these units will be more efficient than the traditional ductless heat pumps (DHPs) with back up resistance heating. If the lab test shows that Ducted mini splits provide more sufficient savings then a field test will be implemented.

Field Tests for Ductless Heat Pumps Do It Yourself Installations in Single Family Homes

BPA funded a small field test through NEEA to understand if DHPs could be installed by owners to reduce installation costs to improve cost effectiveness. NEEA received funding to track the 4 installations. There were key learnings from each installation which were documented to share with the region. Preliminary results were reported earlier this year to members of the BPA and NEEA by Ecotope who managed the installations.

Gas-Fired Absorption Heat Pump

This project is developing a gas-fired absorption heat pump that offers a significant advancement for space and water heating technologies when compared to conventional gas heating technologies (an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 140% versus 100%, respectively). This heat pump will provide efficient space and water heating for single and multi-family homes in most climate zones.

High Efficiency Solid-State Heat Pump Module

United Technologies Research Center will demonstrate a compressor design that will enable high-efficiency small commercial rooftop air conditioning systems. This technology could provide 30% annual energy savings and reduce energy use by 2.5 quads by 2030.

High Performance Commercial Cold Climate Heat Pump (CCCHP)

United Technologies Research Center will develop a high-performance commercial cold climate heat pump system. The system could enable annual electricity use for building space heating in cold climates to decrease by at least 25%.

High-efficiency Low Global-Warming Potential (GWP) Compressor

United Technologies Research Center will demonstrate a heat pump that is smaller, quieter, and cheaper to maintain than current models. The heat pump could result in annual energy savings of more than 1.5 quads and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 million metric tons.

Higher Efficiency HVAC Motors

QM Power, Inc. will develop advanced HVAC motors that are significantly more efficient and cheaper than current solutions for almost all electric motor compressor and fan applications. The technology will have the potential to save more than 0.62 quads of energy.

Home Improvement Catalyst (HI-Cat)

The Home Improvement Catalyst (HI Cat) is a new DOE initiative focused on high impact opportunities to achieve energy savings in home improvements already planned or being undertaken by homeowners. The Home Improvement Catalyst is designed to identify the multiple pathways to achieving an energy efficient home through energy upgrades and speed the adoption of market-ready energy improvements; resulting in greater energy savings over time.

HVAC proper installation: analysis, technical support resources and outreach

Throughout the development of the AVS resources and meta-analysis, HI Cat will conduct outreach to EPA, utilities, CEE, REEOs, and program implementers seeking to advance programs that advance high performance HVAC and QI practices. DOE is partnering with MEEA to collect data and evaluate the HVAC SAVE program (Iowa), test approaches to offering additional services, and develop a case study of the HVAC SAVE program in Iowa.

Implementation support resources for trades: sequencing tool, field installation support

With a focus on typical business as usual HVAC trade practices, HI Cat seeks to capture greater efficiency at high volume within the home improvement transactions at key decision points. HI Cat will work in partnership with industry to design contractor ready resources via development of a Sequencing Tool that curates advisory content that can be applied during the sales transaction. The sequencing tool, designed for use by trade contractors, will identify opportunities to improve upon the current transaction in any given scenario, without disrupting it. Related resources, such as a contractor playbook, will provide ing relevant sales tools and tips; selection, specification, and field installation guidance; proposal and contract language; etc. It will also offer messaging about the energy efficiency pathway or customer journey, reference applicable DOE and industry technical standards/guidance and provide technical information to address follow on EE opportunities.

Improving Data Center Efficiency via End-to-End Cooling Modeling & Optimization

the University of Miami, in partnership with Schneider Electric and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will create a tool for dynamic cooling and airflow optimization that is customized for the design and operational requirements of data centers and computer rooms by integrating several open-source modeling packages: the Modeling Buildings Library/Spawn-of-EnergyPlus for flexible IT equipment and cooling system modeling; LBNLs GenOpt for optimization; and the University of Miamis Fast Fluid Dynamics package for airflow modeling.

Integrating Smart Ceiling Fans and Communicating Thermostats to Provide Energy-Efficient Comfort

This project will develop an optimal system configuration for smart comfort controlled ceiling fans integrated with learning thermostats. This system will be tested and evaluated for energy performance and occupant acceptance in low income multi-family residential and small commercial buildings in disadvantaged communities in California. This research and development will advance the solution's technology readiness level and support market adoption acceleration.

Integrating Smart Ceiling Fans and Communicating Thermostats to Provide Energy-Efficient Comfort

This project will develop an optimal system configuration for smart comfort controlled ceiling fans integrated with learning thermostats. This system will be tested and evaluated for energy performance and occupant acceptance in low income multi-family residential and small commercial buildings in disadvantaged communities in California. This research and development will advance the solution's technology readiness level and support market adoption acceleration.

Intelligent Residential Comfort Control Applications

This project focuses on establishing a framework and identifying priority R&D needs for coordination with industry, Emerging Technology and market deployment programs. PNNL will develop a white paper evaluating the state of the art of commercially available sensors and controls technology for operations, maintenance, and commissioning applications in residential HVAC. This work assesses technology gaps and market needs, and provides clear recommendations for government action and industry involvement in advancing sensors, controls, diagnostics, and automated fault correction. The task will explore opportunities for industry engagement to gain feedback on report findings, better identify industry development plans, and focus BA/BTO investments.

Lab Test for Short Run Ducted MiniSplits for Residential Applications

Ducted mini-splits are currently available for single family applications. Research is required to determine if these units will be more efficient than the traditional ductless heat pumps DHPs with back up resistance heating. This research project will utilize the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Lab Homes to test how the performance of a multi-zone ducted mini split application compares to the traditional single zone DHP with back up resistance heat in a single family application. The PNNL Lab homes provide the opportunity to conduct a side by side experiment with identical homes. Results of this research will determine if BPA should pursue additional field tests.

Low Cost, Large Diameter, Shallow Ground Loops for Ground-Coupled Heat Pumps

This project will address the high cost of ground heat exchangers (GHEs) for water-to-water and water-to-air heat pumps to facilitate the application of efficient ground-coupled heat pumps in California. The project will focus on shallow (20-30 feet deep) and large diameter (2-3 feet diameter) ground heat exchanger designs using helical coil heat exchangers. The project team will develop models, validate them with field data from two existing sites, identify optimal designs, and develop modeling methods that can be adapted for use with Title 24 standards compliance tools. The project will also produce typical design specifications that will support future Title 24 eligibility criteria. A design guide will be developed for use by the industry as a training aid, and a position paper will be prepared for the Department of Water Resources' California Geothermal Heat Exchange Well (GHEW) Standards Stakeholder Advisory Group.

Low Cost, Large Diameter, Shallow Ground Loops for Ground-Coupled Heat Pumps

This project will address the high cost of ground heat exchangers (GHEs) for water-to-water and water-to-air heat pumps to facilitate the application of efficient ground-coupled heat pumps in California. The project will focus on shallow (20-30 feet deep) and large diameter (2-3 feet diameter) ground heat exchanger designs using helical coil heat exchangers. The project team will develop models, validate them with field data from two existing sites, identify optimal designs, and develop modeling methods that can be adapted for use with Title 24 standards compliance tools. The project will also produce typical design specifications that will support future Title 24 eligibility criteria. A design guide will be developed for use by the industry as a training aid, and a position paper will be prepared for the Department of Water Resources' California Geothermal Heat Exchange Well (GHEW) Standards Stakeholder Advisory Group.

Low-Cost Gas Heat Pump For Building Space Heating

Stone Mountain Technologies will build and test a low-cost gas heat pump that is optimized for heating-dominated climates. The technology will reduce heating costs by 30% - 45% compared to conventional gas furnaces and boilers.

Low-GWP HVAC System with Ultra-Small Centrifugal Compression

Mechanical Solutions, Inc. will develop a residential HVAC system featuring a highly efficient small centrifugal compressor. This project could provide a cheaper, more efficient, more environmentally friendly HVAC option for residential and commercial buildings.

Market evaluation and detailed energy analysis of the NextAire variable refrigerant volume natural gas-fired heat pump

Gas Technology Institute will develop and conduct advanced modeling of the GHP system in order to provide a detailed assessment of the technology using regional weather data and detailed utility information for several New York locations and building types. The project will include a market assessment of the competitiveness of the variable refrigerant volume (VRV) GHP, including energy and economic benefits, the value of resiliency, and the value of self-powered heating and cooling systems for customers in New York. The Proposer will take into account the energy savings, operating costs, lifecycle costs, and greenhouse gas emissions in order to determine any energy, economic, or environmental merits of GHPs over standard HVAC equipment

Mechanical Dehumidification Using High-Frequency Ultrasonic Vibration

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will investigate a novel dehumidification process to avoid the excessive energy utilized by conventional approaches, through high-frequency mechanical vibration of ultrasonic transducers to eject adsorbed water in a liquid form.