Home Households, Buildings & Industry > Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) > Background > Building Characteristics Table 2
Comparisons Between 1992, 1995, 1999, and 2003 CBECS

 

Table 1. Survey Sample and Design | Table 3. Energy Sources and Consumption | Table 4. Energy-Using Equipment Table 5. Selected Conservation Measure

Table 2.  Building Characteristics
  1992 1995 1999 2003
Principal Building Activity: Collection Interviewer observation, then confirmed with respondent Same as 1992 Asked of respondents only; specific building types were collected within major categories Same as 1999
Principal Building Activity: Categories Vacant;
Office/Professional;
Shopping center/ Mall/Retail/Service;
Laboratory;
Non-refrigerated warehouse or storage; Food sales;
Public order and safety; Outpatient health services/ Clinic; Industrial processing and manufacturing;
Agricultural purposes;
Refrigerated warehouse or storage;
Religious worship;
Public assembly; Education; Food services;
Hospital/Inpatient health services;
Skilled nursing/Other residential care;
Hotel/Motel/Dorm;
Residential;
Indoor enclosed parking garage;
Other
Same as 1992
EXCEPT
these activities broken out into separate categories:
Enclosed shopping mall; Strip shopping center; Retail other than mall; Service
Fewer initial general categories, but ultimately same as 1995 after specific building type questions asked Same as 1999
AND
Data center/Computer "server farm"
Out of Scope Activities Industrial; Agricultural; Residential Same as 1992
AND
Indoor parking garages
Same as 1995 Same as 1995
Floorspace Actual square footage or square footage categories:
1,001 to 5,000;  5,001 to 10,000;
10,001 to 25,000;
25,001 to 50,000;
50,001 to 100,000; 100,001 to 200,000; 200,001 to 500,000; Over 500,000
Same as 1992 Same as 1992 Same as 1992
Year Constructed Actual year constructed or year constructed categories:
1899 or before;
1900-1919;
1920-1945;
1946-1959;
1960-1969;
1970-1979;
1980-1989;
1990-1992
Actual year constructed or year constructed categories:
1899 or before;
1900-1919;
1920-1945;
1946-1959;
1960-1969;
1970-1979;
1980-1989;
1990-1992;
1993-1995
Actual year constructed or year constructed categories:
1919 or before; 1920-1945;
1946-1959;
1960-1969;
1970-1979;
1980-1989;
1990-1995;
1996-1999
Actual year constructed or year constructed categories:
1919 or before;
1920-1945;
1946-1959;
1960-1969;
1970-1979;
1980-1989;
1990-1999;
2000-2003
Ownership/ Occupancy Building owned by/occupied by (asked once for owned and again for occupied):
Federal government; State government; Local government; Privately-owned utility Company;
Religious organization; 
Private or non-profit organization 
Building owned by:
Federal government;
State government;
Local government
Same as 1995

Building owned by: Federal government; State government; Local government; Property management company; Other corporation, partnership, or LLC; Religious organization; Other non-profit organization; Privately-owned school; Individual owner; Other

  Number of businesses or organizations that occupy the building Same as 1992 Same as 1992 Same as 1992
  Whether the occupant is (or the occupants include) the owner or owner's representative Whether one of the occupants is the building owner or owner's representative Whether the occupant (or one of the occupants) owns the building, and if not, whether the owner employs anyone who works on-site Whether this owner occupies any space in building
Hours of Operation Number of normal operating hours for each day of the week (or, for each day, whether the building is open 24 hours, is not open, or the hours vary) 
OR 
Hours vary by season
Open 24 hours a day 
OR 
If the hours do not vary, the opening and closing times for weekdays, Saturday, and Sunday 
Open 24 hours a day
OR 
Whether building is open Monday through Friday, open some of the days, or not open on weekdays; and Whether it is normally open on weekends
Same as 1999
  Total operating hours per week (actual number or category) Same as 1992 Same as 1992 Same as 1992
Number of Employees Number of main shift workers (actual number or category) Same as 1992 Same as 1992 Same as 1992
  Total workers across all shifts (actual number of category) Not collected Not collected Not collected
Predominant Exterior Wall Material Categories Masonry;
Siding or shingles; Metal panels;
Concrete panels;
Window glass;
Decorative glass;
Other
Same as 1992 AND 
No one major type
Not collected Brick, stone or stucco; Concrete panels; Concrete (block or poured); Siding or shingles; Metal panels; Window glass; Decorative glass; Other; No one major type
Predominant Roof Material Categories Built-up;
Wood shingles;
Shingles (not wood); Metal surfacing;
Synthetic or rubber; Slate or tile; Concrete;
Other
Same as 1992 AND 
No one major type
Not collected Same as 1995
Building Footprint Square;
Rectangle;
Rectangle or Square with courtyard;
H-Shaped;
U-Shaped;
E-Shaped;
T-Shaped;
L- or Right angle- shaped;
Cross-shaped;
Other
Not collected Not collected Same as 1992 EXCEPT Rectangle broken out into Wide rectangle or Narrow rectangle
  Length and width of building Not collected Not collected  Not collected
Exterior glass Percentage of exterior wall surface that is glass Not collected Not collected Range describing percent of exterior wall surface that is glass: 10 percent or less; 11 to 25 percent; 26 to 50 percent; 51 to 75 percent; 76 to 100 percent
AND
Whether amount of glass is same for all sides of building and, if not, whether the sides receiving direct sunlight have more or less glass area than the sides that do not receive direct sunlight
Floors Actual number of floors in tallest section of building (including basements and parking levels) Same as 1992 Same as 1992 Same as 1992
Elevators and Escalators Not collected Not collected Not collected Presence and number of each
Renovations Not collected Not collected Not collected For buildings constructed before 1980, whether any portion of building had undergone major renovations since 1980, and which types: Addition or annex; Reduction of floorspace; Cosmetic improvements; Exterior replacement; Interior wall re-configuration; HVAC upgrade; Lighting upgrade; Window replacement; Plumbing upgrade; Insulation upgrade
Space Usage Commercial food preparation;
Computer room; Activities requiring special ventilation equipment;
Activities requiring large amounts of hot water
Same as 1992 EXCEPT
did not ask about rooms requiring special ventilation equipment
Same as 1995 EXCEPT
did not ask about computer room
Same as 1995
Multibuilding Facility Whether building is on multibuilding facility Same as 1992 Same as 1992 Same as 1992
  Presence of central physical plant that produces: 
District hot water; District steam; District chilled water;
Electricity
Same as 1992 Same as 1992 Same as 1992
  Primary business, commerce or function of multibuilding facility:
Primary or secondary school; College, university or junior college; Other school; Shopping center/Mall; Automotive sales and service; Other retail sales and service; Office; Warehouse; Industrial/ Manufacturing; Hospital or other health service; Religious activities; Hotel/Motel; Amusement or recreation; Transportation; Residential; Agricultural; Other
Primary business, commerce or function of multibuilding facility:
Primary or secondary school; College, university or junior college; Other school; Hospital or other health care; Manufacturing industrial; Other industrial; Transportation; Post office; Prison; Other government; Other
Primary business, commerce or function of multibuilding facility:
Primary or secondary school; College, university or junior college; Other school; Office; Retail; Religious; Hospital or other health care; Post office; Other goverment; Manufacturing industrial; Other industrial; Transportation; Other
Same as 1999
AND
Lodging or resort
  Not collected Not collected Whether campus or complex is owned by the Federal goverment Same as 1999

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Contacts

Specific questions on this product may be directed to:

Joelle Michaels
joelle.michaels@eia.doe.gov
CBECS Manager
Phone: (202) 586-8952
FAX: (202) 586-0018

 

URL: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/comparebldgchar.htm