APPENDIX 7-A. HOUSING VARIABLES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

7-A.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................7-A-1

7-A.2 RECS SAMPLE DETERMINATION...................................................................7-A-1

7-A.3 RECS 2009 DATABASE VARIABLE RESPONSE CODES..............................7-A-2

LIST OF TABLES

Table 7-A.2.1 List of RECS 2009 Variables Used for Dehumidifier LCC 

Analysis................................................................................................7-A-1

Table 7-A.3.1 Definitions of RECS 2009 Variables Used in Life-Cycle Cost 

Analysis................................................................................................7-A-2

7-A-i
APPENDIX 7-A. HOUSING VARIABLES

7-A.1 INTRODUCTION

Using Microsoft ACCESS, DOE created a database containing a subset of the records 

and variables from DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA)’s RECS 2009.1 DOE used 

this RECS subset in the life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis of the Dehumidifier Rulemaking. This 

appendix explains the variable name abbreviations and provides definitions of the variable 

values. For the entire RECS 2009 dataset, refer to

http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2009/index.cfm?view=microdata. 

7-A.2 RECS SAMPLE DETERMINATION

The RECS consists of three parts: 

• Personal interviews with households for information about energy used, how it is used, 

energy-using appliances, structural features, energy efficiency measures, and 

demographic characteristics of the household.

• Telephone interviews with rental agents for households that have any of their energy use 

included in their rent. 

• Mail questionnaires sent to energy suppliers (after obtaining permission from households) 

to collect the actual billing data on energy consumption and expenditures.

The subset of RECS 2009 records used to study dehumidifiers met all of the following 

criteria:

• used a dehumidifier;

• and for homes with a whole-home dehumidifier:

o located in a mixed temperature and moist climate;

o single-family attached or detached;

o has a basement;

o equipped with a central air conditioner;

o equipped with duct work;

The RECS 2009 weighting indicates how commonly each household configuration 

occurs in the general population. Table 7-A.2.1 shows the RECS sample weights and criteria for 

replacements.

Table 7-A.2.1 lists the variables use in the analysis. 

Table 7-A.2.1 List of RECS 2009 Variables Used for Dehumidifier LCC Analysis

Variable Description

Location Variables

REGIONC Census Region

7-A-1
Variable Description

DIVISION Census Division

REPORTABLE_DOMAIN Reportable states and groups of states

Climate_Region_Pub Building America Climate Region

HDD65 Heating degree days in 2009, base temperature 65F

HDD30YR Heating degree days, 30-year average 1981-2010, base 65F

CDD65 Heating degree days in 2009, base temperature 65F

CDD30YR Cooling degree days, 30-year average 1981-2010, base 65F

StationID* ID number of weather station identified with household (See 

Appendix 7-B)

Housing Unit Characteristics Variables

NWEIGHT Final sample weight

DOEID Unique identifier for each respondent

TYPEHUQ Type of housing unit

YEARMADE Year housing unit was built

NOTMOIST Use dehumidifier

USENOTMOIST Number of months in 2009 use dehumidifier

COOLTYPE Type of air conditioning equipment used

CENACHP Central air conditioner is a heat pump

CELLAR Basement in housing unit

BASEFIN Finished basement

Household Characteristics Variables

NHSLDMEM Number of household members

Seniors* Number of household members age 65 or older

POVERTY100 Household income at or below 100% of poverty line

* Not part of RECS 2009 variables.

7-A.3 RECS 2009 DATABASE VARIABLE RESPONSE CODES

Table 7-A.3.1 provides the response codes for all RECS 2009 variables used in the 

dehumidifier housing samples.

Table 7-A.3.1 Definitions of RECS 2009 Variables Used in Life-Cycle Cost Analysis 

Variable Response Codes

BASECOOL

0

1

-2

No

Yes

Not Applicable

BASEFIN

0

1

-2

No

Yes

Not Applicable

CDD65 Cooling degree days in 2009, base temperature 65F

CELLAR

0

1

-2

No

Yes

Not Applicable

CENACHP

0

1

No

Yes

7-A-2
Variable Response Codes

-2 Not Applicable

Climate_Region_Pub

1

2

3

4

5

Very Cold/Cold

Hot-Dry/Mixed-Dry

Hot-Humid

Mixed-Humid

Marine

COOLTYPE

1

2

3

-2

Central system

Window/wall units

Both a central system and window/wall units

Not Applicable

DIVISION

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

New England Census Division (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

Middle Atlantic Census Division (NJ, NY, PA)

East North Central Census Division (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)

West North Central Census Division (IA, KS, MN, MO, ND, 

NE, SD)

South Atlantic Census Division (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, 

SC, VA, WV)

East South Central Census Division (AL, KY, MS, TN)

West South Central Census Division (AR, LA, OK, TX)

Mountain North Sub-Division (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

Mountain South Sub-Division (AZ, NM, NV)

Pacific Census Division (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)

DOEID

00001 -

12083 Unique identifier for each respondent

HDD65 Heating degree days in 2009, base temperature 65F

NOTMOIST

0

1

No

Yes

NWEIGHT Final sample weight

POVERTY100

0

1

No

Yes

REGIONC

1

2

3

4

Northeast Census Region

Midwest Census Region

South Census Region

West Census Region

REPORTABLE_DOMAIN

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Massachusetts

New York

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

Illinois

Indiana, Ohio

Michigan

Wisconsin

Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota

Kansas, Nebraska

Missouri

Virginia

Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia

7-A-3
Variable Response Codes

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

Georgia

North Carolina, South Carolina

Florida

Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi

Tennessee

Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma

Texas

Colorado

Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming

Arizona

Nevada, New Mexico

California

Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington

Seniors

0

1

No

Yes

TYPEHUQ

1

2

3

4

5

Mobile Home

Single-Family Detached

Single-Family Attached

Apartment in Building with 2 - 4 Units

Apartment in Building with 5+ Units

USENOTMOIST

1

2

3

4

5

-2

1 to 3 months

4 to 6 months

7 to 9 months

10 to 11 months

Turned on all year

Not applicable

YEARMADE

1600 -

2009 Year housing unit was built

* Not part of RECS 2009 variables.

7-A-4
REFERENCES

1. U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy 

Consumption Survey: 2009 RECS Survey Data, 2013. (Last accessed March, 2013.) 

<http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2009/>

2. U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Information Administration, Commercial Buildings 

Energy Consumption Survey, 2003. (Last accessed September, 2013.) 

<http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/>

7-A-5