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HVAC, Water Heating, and Appliance Publications

November 17, 2016
Decision Science and Market Transformation Pathways: Workshop Report and Recommendations

This report is a result of the Decision Science and Market Transformation Pathways Workshop, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Association for Psychological Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

September 19, 2016
Alternative Refrigerant Evaluation for High-Ambient-Temperature Environments: R-22 and R-410A Alternatives for Rooftop Air Conditioners

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) High-Ambient-Temperature Evaluation Program for Low-Global Warming Potential (Low-GWP) Refrigerants aimed to develop an understanding of the performance of low-GWP alternative refrigerants relative to hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in Rooftop Unit (RTU) air conditioners under high-ambient-temperature conditions. This final report describes the parties involved, the alternative refrigerants selection process, the test procedures, and the final results.

July 7, 2016
The Future of Air Conditioning for Buildings Report

This report characterizes the current landscape and trends in the global air conditioning (A/C) market, including discussion of both direct and indirect climate impacts, and potential global warming impacts from growing global A/C usage.

June 21, 2016
Credit: Navigant
Energy Savings Potential and RD&D Opportunities for Commercial Building Appliances Report (2015 Update)

The Department of Energy commissioned a technology characterization and assessment of appliances used in commercial buildings for cooking, cleaning, water heating, and other end-uses. The primary objectives of this study were to document the energy consumed by commercial appliances and identify research, development, and demonstration opportunities to improve energy efficiency in each end-use.

October 15, 2015
Alternative Refrigerant Evaluation for High-Ambient-Temperature Environments: R-22 and R-410A Alternatives for Mini-Split Air Conditioners

This publication is a final report for Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s High-Ambient-Temperature Evaluation Program for Low Global Warming Potential (Low-GWP) Refrigerants project.

October 9, 2015
Pump and Fan Technology Characterization and R&D Assessment

This report provides the Building Technologies Office (BTO) and the research and development (R&D) community with a technical and market analysis of pumps and fans as they pertain to commercial and residential buildings as well as key conclusions regarding the R&D opportunities that can help achieve BTO’s energy savings goals.

October 2, 2015
Research & Development Opportunities for Joining Technologies in HVAC&R

This report identifies and characterizes R&D opportunities with HVAC&R joining technologies for the Building Technologies Office (BTO) to pursue.

July 27, 2015
Development and Evaluation of a Sandia Cooler-based Refrigerator Condenser

This report describes the first design of a refrigerator condenser using the Sandia Cooler – an air-bearing supported rotating heat-sink impeller.

December 3, 2014
Research & Development Roadmap: Emerging HVAC Technologies

The Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap for Emerging Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) Technologies provides recommendations to the Building Technologies Office (BTO) on R&D activities to pursue that will aid in achieving BTO’s energy savings goals.

December 3, 2014
Research & Development Roadmap: Next-Generation Appliances

The Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap for Next-Generation Appliances provides recommendations to the Building Technologies Office (BTO) on R&D activities to pursue that will aid in achieving BTO’s energy savings goals.

December 3, 2014
Research & Development Roadmap: Next-Generation Low Global Warming Potential Refrigerants

This research and development (R&D) roadmap for next-generation low-GWP refrigerants provides recommendations to the Building Technologies Office (BTO) on R&D activities that will help accelerate the transition to low-GWP refrigerants across the entire HVAC&R industry.

September 25, 2014
Research & Development Roadmap: Emerging Water Heating Technologies

The Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap for Emerging Water Heating Technologies provides recommendations to the Building Technologies Office (BTO) on R&D activities to pursue that will aid in achieving BTO’s energy savings goals.

March 28, 2014
Buildings-to-Grid Technical Opportunities: Introduction and Vision

This report outlines the technical opportunities for building assets to seamlessly integrate and transact with grid operations. It defines the characteristics inherent in transaction-based controls that are necessary to control those building assets and operations using a “transactive” energy approach.

March 18, 2014
This thermoelastic system provides a promising alternative to traditional vapor-compression HVAC technologies. Read the full report below to learn more.
<em>Credit: University of Maryland</em>
Non-Vapor Compression HVAC Technologies Report

While vapor-compression technologies have served heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) needs very effectively, and have been the dominant HVAC technology for close to 100 years, the conventional refrigerants used in vapor-compression equipment contribute to global climate change when released to the atmosphere. The Building Technologies Office is evaluating low-global warming potential (GWP) alternatives to vapor-compression technologies.

February 24, 2014
Radial Sandia Cooler Report

This market assessment and commercialization report characterizes and assesses the market potential of the rotating heat exchanger technology developed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), known as the Radial Sandia Cooler. The RSC is a novel, motor-driven, rotating, finned heat exchanger technology. The RSC was evaluated for the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation markets.

February 24, 2014
Motor Energy Savings Potential Report

This report describes the current state of motor technology and estimates opportunities for energy savings through application of more advanced technologies in a variety of residential and commercial end uses. The objectives of this report were to characterize the state and type of motor technologies used in residential and commercial appliances and equipment and to identify opportunities to reduce the energy consumption of electric motor-driven systems in the residential and commercial sectors through the use of advanced motor technologies.

February 4, 2014
Research & Development Needs for Building-Integrated Solar Technologies

Building Integrated Solar Technologies (BIST) can help achieve the Building Technologies Office goal of reducing energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings by 50% by the year 2030. BIST include technologies for space heating and cooling, water heating, hybrid photovoltaic-thermal systems (PV/T), active solar lighting, and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).

October 1, 2012
Energy Savings Potential and RD&D Opportunities for Residential Building HVAC Systems

This report assesses 135 different heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technologies for U.S. residential buildings to identify and provide analysis on 19 priority technology options in various stages of development.

September 7, 2011
Comparison of Real World Energy Consumption to Models and DOE Test Procedures

This study investigates the real-world energy performance of appliances and equipment as it compares with models and test procedures.

September 1, 2011
Energy Savings Potential and RD&D Opportunities for Commercial Building HVAC

This Building Technologies Office report assesses heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technologies for U.S. commercial buildings to identify and provide analysis on 17 priority technology options in various stages of development.

December 1, 2009
Energy Savings Potential and RD&D Opportunities for Commercial Building Appliances (2009 Version)

This study characterizes and assesses the appliances used in commercial buildings.

September 1, 2009
Energy Savings Potential and RD&D Opportunities for Commercial Refrigration

This report documents the energy consumption of commercial refrigeration equipment (CRE) in the U.S. and evaluated the energy savings potential of various technologies and energy efficiency measures that could be applied to such equipment.