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Building America Research Benchmark Definition - Updated December 19, 2008

Reference

Document describing the Building America research benchmark for the residential building program.

Bay Area Seismic Retrofit

Reference

YouTube channel featuring 90+ videos to educate Bay Area homeowners and contractors about seismic retrofitting, including information for various home and construction types.

By plotting the heating capacities at -4°F and 5°F and drawing a line between them, the capacity at 0°F can be estimated

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Strategy Guideline: Compact Air Distribution Systems

Reference

Document covering the pros and cons of compact air distribution systems and the decision criteria that must be considered early in the whole-house design process.

Advanced Strategy Guideline: Air Distribution Basics and Duct Design

Reference

Document providing guideance and considerations for duct design in an energy efficient house.

Air-Source Heat Pump Sizing and Selection Guide

Reference

Document providing step-by-step guidance to sizing air-source heat pumps for a cold climate.

These plots compare sizing approaches in terms of the approximate annual heating load a heat pump might carry throughout the year for a hypothetical home in Minneapolis, MN.

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Measure Guideline: Passive Vents

Reference

Report describing the use of passive vents as a source of outdoor air in multifamily buildings.

Laboratory Performance Testing of Residential Window Air Conditioners

Reference

Report providing information about laboratory testing of four residential window air conditioners.

Better Duct Systems for Home Heating and Cooling; Building Technologies Program (Brochure)

Reference

Brochure intended to provide readers with a working knowledge of residential heating and cooling duct systems.

Measure Guideline: Implementing a Plenum Truss for a Compact Air Distribution System

Reference

Report providing guidance on how to implement a compact duct system inside a plenum truss bulkhead of a one-story, slab-on-grade home.

This plot shows a heat pump’s minimum and maximum heating capacities overlaid with a home’s heating load line, allowing a designer to assess how well-suited the equipment is for the specific home.

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This plot shows a heat pump’s minimum and maximum heating capacities overlaid with a home’s heating load line, allowing a designer to assess how well-suited the equipment is for the specific home.

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This plot shows a heat pump’s minimum and maximum cooling capacities overlaid with a home’s cooling load line, allowing a designer to assess how well-suited the equipment is for the specific home.

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Wrong: This heat pump is oversized even for Approach 4, and its modulating zone has a small overlap with the home’s heating load line, resulting in a large amount of short-cycling.

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Measure Guideline: Ventilation Guidance for Residential High-Performance New Construction - Multifamily

Reference

Report describing the most cost-effective ventilation and indoor air quality solutions for multifamily homes that meet ASHRAE 62.2-2016.

Energy Impacts of Various Residential Mechanical Ventilation Strategies

Reference

Document comparing simulation results from a modified version of the EnergyGauge program to include various HVAC runtime strategies.

Air Source Heat Pumps Tax Credit

Reference

This is a federal tax credit for complying air source heat pumpe. Units located in the "North" must meet ENERGY STAR's cold climate heat pump criteria.

Heat Pump Retrofit Strategies for Multifamily Buildings

Reference

Report describing the various heat pump retrofit options for multifamily buildings in the U.S., segmented by building typology and heating system, to support better environmental, economic, and health outcomes.

An independent ducted dehumidifier draws air from and supplies air to the living space using its own ducts, not ducts that are connected to the HVAC system

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The dehumidifier draws air from a common area in the house, dehumidifies it, and adds it to the supply side of the central air handler for mixing and distribution

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The dehumidifier draws air from a common area in the house, dehumidifies it, and adds it to the return side of the air handler for conditioning, mixing, and distribution

Image

Wrong: Sized per Approach 3, there is small overlap between this heat pump’s modulating zone and the home’s heating load line, resulting in excessive short-cycling; it will require backup heat when the temperature is below 5°F

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Building America Research Benchmark Definition - Updated December 19, 2008

Bay Area Seismic Retrofit

By plotting the heating capacities at -4°F and 5°F and drawing a line between them, the capacity at 0°F can be estimated

Strategy Guideline: Compact Air Distribution Systems

Advanced Strategy Guideline: Air Distribution Basics and Duct Design

Air-Source Heat Pump Sizing and Selection Guide

These plots compare sizing approaches in terms of the approximate annual heating load a heat pump might carry throughout the year for a hypothetical home in Minneapolis, MN.

Measure Guideline: Passive Vents

Laboratory Performance Testing of Residential Window Air Conditioners

Better Duct Systems for Home Heating and Cooling; Building Technologies Program (Brochure)

Measure Guideline: Implementing a Plenum Truss for a Compact Air Distribution System

This plot shows a heat pump’s minimum and maximum heating capacities overlaid with a home’s heating load line, allowing a designer to assess how well-suited the equipment is for the specific home.

This plot shows a heat pump’s minimum and maximum heating capacities overlaid with a home’s heating load line, allowing a designer to assess how well-suited the equipment is for the specific home.

This plot shows a heat pump’s minimum and maximum cooling capacities overlaid with a home’s cooling load line, allowing a designer to assess how well-suited the equipment is for the specific home.

Wrong: This heat pump is oversized even for Approach 4, and its modulating zone has a small overlap with the home’s heating load line, resulting in a large amount of short-cycling.

Measure Guideline: Ventilation Guidance for Residential High-Performance New Construction - Multifamily

Energy Impacts of Various Residential Mechanical Ventilation Strategies

Air Source Heat Pumps Tax Credit

Heat Pump Retrofit Strategies for Multifamily Buildings

An independent ducted dehumidifier draws air from and supplies air to the living space using its own ducts, not ducts that are connected to the HVAC system

The dehumidifier draws air from a common area in the house, dehumidifies it, and adds it to the supply side of the central air handler for mixing and distribution

The dehumidifier draws air from a common area in the house, dehumidifies it, and adds it to the return side of the air handler for conditioning, mixing, and distribution

Long-Term Monitoring of Mini-Split Ductless Heat Pumps in the Northeast

Residential Mechanical Precooling

Comparing Motor Technologies

Wrong: Sized per Approach 3, there is small overlap between this heat pump’s modulating zone and the home’s heating load line, resulting in excessive short-cycling; it will require backup heat when the temperature is below 5°F

Technology Solutions Case Study: Improving the Field Performance of Natural Gas Furnaces

Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative Air Conditioning: Parametric Analysis and Design

Technology Solutions Case Study: Selecting Ventilation Systems for Existing Homes

Energy Savings and Breakeven Costs for Residential Heat Pump Water Heaters in the United States