Buildings and Energy in the 80's -- Overview

Sources: Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, EIA-457 of the 1980 Residential Energy Consumption Survey and Form EIA-871 of the 1989 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.

Introduction

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) collects data on energy consumption, expenditures, and other energy-related topics in the major energy-consuming sectors of the U.S. economy. The residential and commercial sectors are two major sectors that many energy analysts like to consider together, as energy use is primarily related to the building shell and the stock of energy-consuming goods within the shell in these sectors. EIA conducts separate surveys for the two sectors, the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) and the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS).¹ Prior to the first CBECS, there was a very poor understanding of the complexities of energy use in commercial buildings, or the amount of energy consumed in the commercial sector. This report summarizes and synthesizes energy data that were collected by these two surveys during the 1980’s, when major changes in energy policy were implemented following the energy crisis decade of the 1970’s.

The six RECS and four CBECS data bases from the ten consumption surveys over the 1979 to 1990 time frame contain a wealth of energy end use information on residential and commercial buildings. This is the first report to present a unified vision of energy use in residential and commercial buildings. This report presents energy data that are consistent between the two sectors and across the decade of the 1980’s. This report differs from previous consumption reports because all consumption statistics are reported in terms of primary electricity consumption and site energy for all other energy sources.²

The availability of inexpensive, secure energy became less certain by the early 1970’s. Although energy demand (total energy consumption, Figure 1.1) had continued its long rise into the 1970’s, the production of domestic oil (a primary source of energy) peaked in 1970 and forced greater reliance on energy imports. The Arab oil embargo in 1973-1974 served as the catalyst for the energy crisis; oil supplies were constrained and energy prices rose sharply. In both the 1970’s and 1980’s, the price of oil had a large impact on the economy, the price of other fuels, and on total energy consumption. Both the sharp price increase in 1974 and again in 1979 (following the 1978 Iranian revolution) contributed to economic downturns and fueled much of the high inflation of the period.

During the 1970’s, the promise of higher energy prices for the foreseeable future and the uncertainty of adequate supplies led to public discussion and development of a comprehensive energy policy that could produce long-term solutions to the energy crisis. Four generally agreed upon goals of the policy were: adequate energy supplies, reduced dependence on energy imports, protection against the disruption of foreign supplies, and increased conservation and efficiency in end uses.

Many energy programs were put into place during the 1970’s and 1980’s to lessen the dependence upon foreign oil supplies and to improve how all forms of energy are used. A significant percent of total energy consumption occurred in the residential and commercial sectors (Figure 1.2). This report concentrates on the physical makeup of the residential and commercial buildings sectors and their use of energy, and examines changes that occurred during the 1980’s.

The remainder of this chapter presents a summary of major findings. The following three chapters focus on different aspects of the overarching theme of buildings and energy in the 1980’s. Chapter 2 discusses major characteristics of residential and commercial buildings. Chapter 3 considers the major energy sources and end uses in terms of number of buildings and floorspace. Chapter 4 focuses on energy consumption and expenditures. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 contain tables at the end of each chapter that summarize data from detailed tables that are available separately on diskette or via EIA’s Electronic Publishing System (EPUB). Following the body of the report, appendices and a glossary provide additional information on the methodologies used in this report and on the residential and commercial building consumption surveys on which this report is based.

¹ Residential Energy Consumption Surveys were conducted in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, and 1990. Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Surveys were conducted in 1979, 1983, 1986, and 1989. Prior to the 1989 CBECS, that survey was called the Nonresidential Buildings Energy Consumption Survey. The RECS and CBECS are presently conducted triennially and each supports two major publications, one covering buildings characteristics, and one covering energy consumption and expenditures. ² Primary electricity consumption takes into account the energy inputs used to produce and transmit electricity. Site energy consumption is the amount of energy delivered to a site. See Appendix C, "Data Quality."

Figure 1.1. Domestic Energy Production and Primary Domestic Energy Consumption, 1949-1993

Figure 1.1. Domestic Energy Production and Primary Domestic Energy Consumption, 1949 - 1993

Source: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 1993, DOE/EIA-0384(93).

Figure 1.2. Primary Energy Consumption and Primary Residential and Commercial Consumption, 1949-1993

Source: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 1993, DOE/EIA-0384(93).

Overview

Total Residential and Commercial Primary Consumption by Type of Building

Introduction