Reports

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Energy Retrofitting Advanced Technologies in a Hot Climate: Henderson, Nevada

File Under: Energy Efficiency & High-Performance Building

Energy retrofitting of existing homes has received much attention since the energy crisis of the mid-1970’s. Traditional energy saving upgrades have consisted of such measures as caulking, adding insulation and installing double pane replacement windows. In addition, there have been a number of technologies developed that are not yet widely accepted or understood. Many of these technologies have been identified by the PATH program and were considered for the energy retrofit as appropriate with respect to climate and site. Establishing a methodology and understanding technologies used in field evaluation is an important step in accomplishing one of the primary PATH visions to reduce energy use by 30% or more in existing homes.

National Older Adult Housing Survey 2002

File Under: Housing Industry Trends

The 2002 National Older Adult Housing Survey (NOAHS) examines the choices that older adult homeowners make with respect to community amenities, home features, and living arrangements. It may be used as a reference for builders, remodelers, developers, manufacturers, marketing professionals, and members of the aging profession who are interested in providing more focused and targeted products and services to older adult consumers.

Getting Building Technology Accepted

File Under: Energy Efficiency & High-Performance Building, Structural Performance, Building Practices

As part of its strategic goal to increase the availability of decent, safe, and affordable housing in American communities, HUD has been involved in ongoing efforts to advance housing technology through its administration of the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). This Federal initiative works to accelerate the creation and widespread use of advanced technologies to radically improve the quality, durability, environmental performance, energy efficiency, disaster resistance, and affordability of our Nation’s housing. New building products and technology can contribute to the development of safer, higher quality, and more disaster-resistant housing.

Performance Comparison of Residential Hot Water Systems

File Under: Plumbing, Building Practices

This report by Home Innovation Research Labs is a continuation of past Renewables and Energy Efficiency Program (REEP) technical efforts sponsored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) through 1999 and 2000. This work was undertaken to verify the estimated energy savings for hot water systems. The test results presented here support water heating energy savings reported in 2001.

Electronic Permitting Systems and How to Implement Them

File Under: Building Codes & Standards, Building Practices

This publication is designed to help America’s communities understand the process of selecting and implementing an electronic permitting system. Benefiting from the experiences of others, communities can implement electronic permitting systems with better results and at lower cost.

Domestic Hot Water System Modeling for the Design of Energy-Efficient Systems

File Under: Energy Efficiency & High-Performance Building, Plumbing, Building Practices

This report evaluates the use of demand water heating equipment in conjunction with various hot water piping configurations. These systems are being evaluated as an alternative to a standard tank with a tree delivery system used in most new homes today. Four different domestic hot water heating systems are evaluated for incremental performance changes. Specific performance issues, such as hot water delivery temperatures at the outlet, are used as a basis for understanding the adequacy of the system as well as comparing delivered outlet energy relative to the electric energy required to supply the outlet energy.