2018 CBECS and Upcoming Changes to ENERGY STAR

By: Owen Kavanagh and Kathryn Kavanagh

The US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) has completed the release of the 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), providing valuable insights into energy usage in commercial buildings across the United States.

CBECS is a comprehensive survey conducted regularly (usually every 5 – 7 years) that collects data on the energy consumption and energy-related characteristics of commercial buildings in the United States. The survey covers a wide range of building types, including office buildings, retail stores, hospitals, schools, and warehouses, among others. The 2018 survey is the 11th iteration, and it has marked several notable changes since the 2012 CBECS and first survey in 1979.

This survey is notable for many reasons, and one of its most important uses is in calculating ENERGY STAR® scores. ENERGY STAR scores are built on comparisons between like buildings using CBECS data. With many new updates to ENERGY STAR on the horizon, the 2018 CBECS data will prove very useful in defining upcoming scores.

CBECS samples multiple classes of buildings in the U.S., with the 2018 CBECS sampling approximately 6,436 buildings to represent the 5.9 million buildings across the U.S. CBECS data is then used to calculate ENERGY STAR scores and provide ENERGY STAR certifications based on a 1–100-point scale.

The national average in energy efficiency and performance is always 50, and to be ENERGY STAR certified, a building must receive a score of 75 or higher.

The first step to receiving an ENERGY STAR Score is benchmarking. Using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, you can input emissions, water, and energy use data. After a year of benchmarking, your data is compared to the CBECS data set, and then given a score showing a building’s rank on the national curve.

The 2018 CBECS found that the average energy consumption per square foot of US commercial buildings decreased by 12% since the 2012 survey. The survey also found that the total floorspace of commercial buildings grew overall, and electricity intensity (the energy consumed per square foot) decreased 14% and natural gas intensity decreased by 11%.

Between 2003 and 2018, the total number of buildings increased by 22%, and the total floorspace of those buildings increased by 35%.

Of these buildings, the 2018 CBECS showed that warehouse and storage (17%), offices (16%), and service buildings (15%) made up the largest proportion of building types.

Warehouses and storage (18%) and offices (17%), and education (14%) made up the majority of building types by total floorspace in square feet, representing 49% of the 96.4 billion square feet of building space in the U.S.

Of the 5.9-million buildings in the U.S., over half were built between 1960 and 1990, and 25% were built after 2000. The median year of construction in the 2018 CBECS was 1981.

This survey also found that newer buildings were on average larger than their older counterparts. Buildings constructed after 2000 were found to be 2,700 square feet larger than the national average and were over 5,000 square feet larger than buildings constructed prior to 1960.

Commercial buildings were found to be largest in the Middle Atlantic (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) at 23,600 square feet on average, and the Northeast region (made up of New England and the Middle Atlantic) had the highest average at an average building size of 20,100 square feet.

The South Atlantic (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and DC) had the second highest average overall, and the South had the second highest regional average at 16,300 square feet.

This survey showed that the South accounted for 38% of the U.S. population, 36% of buildings, and 36% of the floorspace.

The southern region of the US had the largest total energy consumption at 2,357 trillion Btu (British Thermal Unit), and the highest share of electricity usage at 69%.

The Midwest region saw the second highest consumption at 1,936 trillion Btu. Commercial properties spent approximately $142-billion on energy in 2018, averaging $1.47 per square foot.

The survey also showed that electricity and natural gas continued to be the dominant energy sources at 94% of total energy consumption, with electricity representing 60% of consumption in 2018. Electricity was used in 95% of buildings, across 98% of total floorspace.

Natural gas was used for the majority of heating (44%), however electricity was used for a similar amount (43%). In terms of cooling, electricity was the primary energy source used at 78%. In addition, electricity use for space heating was highest in the South (55%), and natural gas for space heating was the lowest (33%).

Lighting technology saw significant changes between the 2012 and 2018 CBECS, with LED being the only technology to see an increase in use.

Incandescent lighting fell from being used in 33% of buildings to only 19%, standard fluorescent fell from 84 to 68%, compact fluorescent fell from 41 to 19%, and LED grew from 9-percent in 2012 to 44% in 2018.

The release of the 2018 CBECS data is a significant milestone for the energy industry, and its findings will inform the upcoming ENERGY STAR scores, and many decisions within the industry and governing bodies.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new certification called the ENERGY STAR NextGenTM certification. This certification mirrors the ENERGY STAR certification in a few ways, and NextGen certification will be tracked through Portfolio Manager. This certification is expected to be released late-2023 or early-2024.

ENERGY STAR NextGen is meant to increase efficiency, grow national renewable energy capacity, and transition from fossil fuels to electricity while achieving net-zero emissions economy wide by 2050. There are three proposed categories of this certification: efficiency, renewable energy use, and electrification. Each category has requirements that set a standard of excellence for buildings, with a strong focus on the future.

Studies have consistently shown that inefficiencies in building systems snowball into wasted energy, greater emissions, higher costs, and increased strain on energy grids. One of the goals for the EPA’s ENERGY STAR NextGenTM certification is to ensure energy efficiency. To meet the requirement for the efficiency standard, properties must be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification and achieve an ENERGY STAR score of at least 75.

ENERGY STAR certifications recognize building efficiency, and ENERGY STAR portfolio manager is a widely used tool for tracking energy use. Currently, ENERGY STAR NextGenTM recognition will only apply to ENERGY STAR eligible property types, but this will expand as the EPA expands scores and certifications for other property types.

To meet the requirement for the “renewable energy” standard, buildings must use at least 30% renewable energy meaning at least 30% of the energy a building uses must be from a renewable energy source. This can include “onsite renewable electricity, offsite green power procurement, renewable fuels, and/or renewable thermal certificates.”

Note that the 30% required from renewable energy cannot be from renewable components of standard grid electricity, and this requirement is expected to increase over time. To track renewable energy use, the EPA will expand energy tracking features in Portfolio Manager to include tracking for renewable energy credits (REC), other renewable energy products, and inform users if they meet the 30% threshold.

To meet the “electrification/emissions” category, a building must be 100% electric and have a specific greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGi). Each building will have a specific GHGi target based on Heating Degree Days (HDD). By using a building’s HDD, the EPA is normalizing each building’s target because GHGi is different based on heating needs.

Through research for the development of the NextGen program, the EPA found that for each property type, median GHGi per HDD is relatively consistent across climate zones and can be applied broadly.

This section will also be tracked through an expansion of Portfolio Manager to show NextGen Direct GHGi Target and GHGi Factor. You can learn more about the proposed factor for calculating direct GHGi targets in the full NextGen proposal.

For more information about the 2018 CBECS survey and its findings, read through the Preliminary Consumption and Expenditure Highlights release at the QR code below, and keep an eye on www.CREInsightJournal.com for more information on CBECS, ENERGY STAR NextGen, and other changes in sustainable technologies and programs.

Scan here to read the key findings of the 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS)

2018CommercialBuildingsEnergyConsumptionSurvey:Building CharateristicsHightlights| U.S. Energy Information Administration

2018CommercialBuildingsEnergyConsumptionSurvey: PreliminaryConsumptionandExpendituresHighlights| U.S. Energy Information Administration

2018CommercialBuildingsEnergyConsumptionSurvey: Final Results| U.S. Energy Information Administration

ENERGYSTARNextGenCertificationforCommercialBuildings| ENERGY STAR