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Column CategoriesThe column categories most commonly classify data by consumption and expenditures, though several other classifications are also given. The following terms, listed in alphabetical order, attempt to explain some of the column categories that may require clarification.Conditional Energy Intensity--The amount of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, or district heat used per square foot in buildings using the specified energy source. For example, in Table 3.16, data in the row labeled "Electricity" under "Energy Sources" and in the column labeled "Northeast" under "Electricity Energy Intensity" would read: "Buildings in the Northeast that used electricity as an energy source used 9.3 kilowatthours of electricity per square foot." Demand-Metered Buildings--Buildings that have meters to measure peak demand (in addition to total consumption) during a billing period. Peak demand is usually metered only for electricity. Distribution of Building-Level Intensities--The amount of energy used per square foot, divided into three percentiles: 25th, median, and 75th. In Table 3.15, for example, the row labeled "Education" under "Principal Building Activity" in the columns under "Distribution of Building-Level Intensities" would read: "In 1992, 25 percent of U.S. education buildings used 4.0 kilowatthours per square foot or less, while 75 percent of the buildings used more than 4.0 kilowatthours of electricity per square foot." Electricity--Site electricity. (See "site electricity" and "primary electricity" in this listing.) Energy Intensity--Usually defined as "gross energy intensity" or "conditional energy intensity" in title of table. If table title does not specify, "energy intensity" is to be defined as "conditional energy intensity." Floorspace--The enclosed area in a building; the sum of the floorspace in all buildings in a category. Gross Energy Intensity--The ratio of the total amount of energy consumed by a group of buildings to the total floorspace of those buildings, including buildings and floorspace where the energy source is not used. For example, in Table 3.7, data in the row category "Education" under "Principal Building Activity" and in the column category of "Northeast" would read: "Education buildings in the Northeast consumed 87.1 thousand Btu per square foot." Major Fuel--Major energy sources: electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and district heat (district steam and district hot water). Although electricity is technically not a fuel, "Major Fuel," rather than "Major Energy Source," was retained as the title of this category to facilitate comparison of 1992 and 1989 CBECS data. Primary Electricity--Site electricity plus the conversion losses in the electric generation process at the utility plant. Most of the tables present statistics for site consumption alone, but Tables 3.2 and 3.14 also provide consumption statistics for primary electricity. Site Electricity--The amount of electricity delivered to the commercial building. This amount excludes conversion losses in the electric generation process at the utility plant. (See "primary electricity" in this listing.) Most of the tables in this section provide statistics for site electricity alone (not on primary electricity). When the term "electricity" is used, the reference is to site electricity. Total of Major Fuels--The sum of site electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and district heat. Statistics in this column exclude data from the column "Primary Electricity."
The Glossary provides detailed definitions of the terms used in the tables. Below are explanations of some of the row categories, in a consumption or expenditures column, that may require clarification, listed in the order in which they occur in the tables. All Buildings--Consumption or expenditures for roofed and walled structures whose principal activities are nonresidential, nonagricultural, and nonindustrial and which are larger than one thousand square feet (roughly twice the size of a two-car garage). Principal Building Activity--Consumption or expenditures for buildings grouped by the activity that occupies the most floorspace in the buildings. Some building types are combined in the tables. For example, inpatient and outpatient health care facilities were combined as "health care buildings," and refrigerated and nonrefrigerated warehouses were combined as "warehouses," and skilled nursing buildings were included in "lodging." The category "assembly" in the 1989 CBECS was broken into "public assembly" and "religious worship" for the 1992 CBECS. See Appendix E, "Types of Buildings," for a full description of the principal building activity categories. Climate Zone--Consumption or expenditures for commercial buildings located in one of the five U.S. climate zones, based on the average number of cooling degree-days (CDD) and heating degree-days (HDD) in a 45-year period (1931-1975). See Appendix F, "U.S. Climate Zone and Census Regions and Divisions Maps," for a map showing the five U.S. climate zones. Census Region and Division--Consumption or expenditures for commercial buildings located in one of the nine divisions within four regions as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Census. See Appendix F, "U.S. Climate Zones and Census Regions and Divisions Maps," for a map showing the four Census regions and nine Census divisions. Energy Sources--Consumption or expenditures for buildings using a specific type of energy (electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, district heat [district steam and district hot water], district chilled water, propane, and any other type of energy [wood, coal, active solar, and photovoltaic cells]). The tables contain consumption data based on billing information obtained from energy suppliers, for the first four sources only. Estimates of the amount of wood burned in buildings were obtained during the personal interviews with building respondents. No consumption data were collected for propane, coal, solar energy, or other renewable sources because such a collection effort would not be feasible. Energy End Uses--Consumption or expenditures in buildings that had specific end uses (heating, air conditioning, water heating, cooking, and manufacturing), not the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for a particular end use. Energy-Related Space Functions--Consumption or expenditures in buildings that had space for commercial food preparation or computer use, space using special ventilation, or space where activities requiring large amounts of hot water took place. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for these specific activities. Space-Heating Energy Sources--Consumption or expenditures in buildings using at least one of the major fuels, propane, wood, or any other energy source for space heating. (In some tables, this category is subdivided into "Main and Secondary Energy Sources.") The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for space heating specifically. Main Space-Heating Energy Source--Consumption or expenditures in buildings using a specific energy source to heat most of the square footage in the building most of the time. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for space heating specifically. Replacement Energy Source for Main Heating--Consumption or expenditures in buildings using a replacement energy source (a heating source to which a building could switch within 1 week without major modifications to the main heating equipment, without substantially reducing the area heated, and without substantially reducing the temperature maintained in the heated area). The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for replacement heating specifically. Cooling Energy Source--Consumption or expenditures in buildings using electricity, natural gas, or district chilled water for cooling. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for cooling specifically. Water-Heating Energy Source--Consumption or expenditures in buildings using one of the major fuels or propane for water heating. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for water heating specifically. Cooking Energy Source--Consumption or expenditures in buildings using electricity, natural gas, or propane for cooking. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for cooking specifically. Manufacturing Energy Sources--Consumption or expenditures in buildings using electricity, natural gas, or other energy source for manufacturing. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for manufacturing specifically. Heating Equipment--Consumption or expenditures in buildings that had at least one type of heating equipment. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for the specific types of heating equipment. Heating Distribution Equipment--Consumption or expenditures in buildings that had at least one type of heating-distribution equipment. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for the specific types of heating-distribution equipment.Cooling EquipmentConsumption or expenditures in buildings that had at least one type of cooling equipment. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for the specific types of cooling equipment. Cooling Distribution Equipment--Consumption or expenditures in buildings that had at least one type of cooling-distribution equipment. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for the specific types of cooling-distribution equipment. Water-Heating Equipment--Consumption or expenditures in buildings that had a centralized system, a distributed system, or both. The tables contain no data on the amount of energy consumption or expenditures for the specific types of water-heating equipment. Energy Conservation Features--Consumption or expenditures in buildings that had any feature designed to reduce the amount of energy consumed by the building because of its:
More detailed data are also given for buildings having at least one of the specific energy-conservation features. Energy Management Practices--Consumption or expenditures in buildings with at least one energy-management practice, including having an energy management and control system, participating in a demand-side management program, having had an energy audit, or employing a building energy manager.
File Last Modified: April 8, 1997
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