4A-i

APPENDIX 4A. CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDIUM OFFICE REFERENCE 

BUILDING MODEL AND MODULAR CLASSROOM MODEL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4A.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 4A-1

4A.2 MEDIUM OFFICE REFERENCE BUILDING MODEL DESCRIPTION.................... 4A-1

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4A.2.1 Description of DOE Reference Medium Office Building Model....................... 4A-2

Table 4A.2.2 Key Schedules for DOE Reference Medium Office Building Model ................ 4A-6
4A-1

APPENDIX 4A. CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDIUM OFFICE REFERENCE BUILDING 

MODEL AND MODULAR CLASSROOM MODEL

4A.1 INTRODUCTION

The analysis of baseline energy consumption for both water-cooled air conditioners and 

evaporatively cooled air conditioners discussed in chapter 4 were based on simulation data for 

the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) medium office reference building model. This 

appendix provides key characteristics of the DOE medium office reference building model that 

formed the basis of this data. Further details and background may be found in the documentation 

and through review of the input files available at 

<www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/commercial_initiative/new_construction.html>.

4A.2 MEDIUM OFFICE REFERENCE BUILDING MODEL DESCRIPTION

Table 4A.2.1 provides a high level description of the DOE medium office reference

building model. Table 4A.2.2 provides DOE’s key schedules for the model.
4A-2

Table 4A.2.1 Description of DOE Reference Medium Office Building Model 

Item Description

Program

Vintage NEW CONSTRUCTION

Location 

(Representing 8 Climate Zones)

Zone 1A: Miami (very hot, 

humid)

Zone 2A: Houston (hot, 

humid) 

Zone 2B: Phoenix (hot, dry)

Zone 3A: Memphis (warm, 

humid) 

Zone 3B: El Paso (warm, dry)

Zone 3C: San Francisco 

(warm,marine)

Zone 4A: Baltimore (mild, 

humid)

Zone 4B: Albuquerque (mild, 

dry)

Zone 4C: Salem (mild, marine)

Zone 5A: Chicago (cold, 

humid)

Zone 5B: Boise (cold, dry)

Zone 6A: Burlington (cold, 

humid)

Zone 6B: Helena (cold, dry)

Zone 7: Duluth (very cold)

Zone 8: Fairbanks (subarctic)

Available fuel types gas, electricity

Building Type (Principal Building Function) OFFICE

Building Prototype Medium Office

Form

Total Floor Area (sq feet) 53,600

(163.8 ft x 109.2 ft)

Building shape 

Aspect Ratio 1.5

Number of Floors 3

Window Fraction

(Window-to-Wall Ratio) 33%
4A-3

Table 4A.2.1 (cont.)

Item Description

Window Locations even distribution among all four sides

Shading Geometry none

Azimuth non-directional

Thermal Zoning Perimeter zone depth: 15 ft. 

Each floor has four perimeter 

zones and one core 

zone.Percentages of floor area: 

Perimeter 40%, Core 60%

Floor to floor height (feet) 13

Floor to ceiling height (feet) 9 

(4 ft above-ceiling plenum)

Architecture 

Exterior walls

 Construction Steel-Frame Walls

 U-factor (Btu / h * ft2 * °F) and/or

 R-value (h * ft2 * °F / Btu)

ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Requirements

Nonresidential; Walls, Above-Grade, Steel-Framed

Roof

 Construction Built-up Roof: 

Roof membrane+Roof insulation+metal decking

 U-factor (Btu / h * ft2 * °F) and/or

 R-value (h * ft2 * °F / Btu)

ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Requirements

Nonresidential; Roofs, Insulation entirely above deck

Window

 U-factor (Btu / h * ft2 * °F) ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Requirements

 SHGC (all) Nonresidential; Vertical Glazing, 31.1-40%, U_fixed

 Operable area 0
4A-4

Table 4A.2.1 (cont.)

Item Description

Foundation 

Foundation Type Slab-on-grade floors (unheated)

 Construction 8" concrete slab poured directly on to the earth

 Thermal properties for ground level floor

 U-factor (Btu / h * ft2 * °F) 

 and/or

 R-value (h * ft2 * °F / Btu)

ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Requirements

Nonresidential; Slab-on-Grade Floors, unheated

Infiltration 

 Infiltration Peak: 0.2016 cfm/sf of above grade exterior wall surface area (when fans turn off)

Off Peak: 25% of peak infiltration rate (when fans turn on)

HVAC

System Type

 Heating type Gas furnace inside the packaged air conditioning unit

 Cooling type Packaged air conditioning unit

 Distribution and terminal units VAV terminal box with damper and electric reheating coil

Zone control type: minimum supply air at 30% of the zone design peak supply air. 

HVAC Sizing

 Air Conditioning autosized to design day

 Heating autosized to design day

HVAC Control

 Thermostat Setpoint 75°F Cooling/70°F Heating

 Thermostat Setback 80°F Cooling/60°F Heating

 Economizers Various by climate location and cooling capacity

Control type: differential dry bulb

 Ventilation ASHRAE Ventilation Standard 62.1-1999 

0.10 cfm/sf

Supply Fan

 Fan schedules See under HVAC Operation Schedules, Below

 Supply Fan Total Efficiency (%) 60% to 62% depending on the fan motor size

 Supply Fan Pressure Drop Varies depending on the Equipment Type

Internal Loads & Schedules 

Lighting 

 Average power density (W/ft2) ASHRAE 90.1-2004

Lighting Power Densities Using the Building Area Method

 Schedule See under Schedules, Below

 Daylighting Controls ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Requirements
4A-5

Table 4A.2.1 (cont.)

Item Description

 Occupancy Sensors ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Requirements

Plug load

 Average power density (W/ft2) 0.75

 Schedule See under Schedules, Below

Occupancy

 Average people 268 Total (5 persons/1000 sf)

 Schedule See under Schedules, Below

Misc.

Elevator

Quantity 2

Motor type hydraulic

Peak Motor Power

(W/elevator) 16,055

Heat Gain to Building Interior

Peak Fan/lights Power

(W/elevator) 161.9

Exterior Lighting

 Peak Power (W) 2,740

 Schedule See under Schedules, Below
4A-6

Table 4A.2.2 Key Schedules for DOE Reference Medium Office Building Model 

Schedule Type Through Day of Week 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am Noon

Internal Loads 

Schedules

BLDG_LIGHT_SCH Fraction Through 12/31 WD, SummerDesign 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9

Sat, WinterDesign 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Sun, Hol, Other 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05

BLDG_EQUIP_SCH Fraction Through 12/31 WD, SummerDesign 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9

Sat, WinterDesign 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5

Sun, Hol, Other 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

BLDG_OCC_SCH Fraction Through 12/31 WD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.2 0.95 0.95 0.95 0.95

SummerDesign 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1

Sat, WinterDesign 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Sun, Hol, Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05

HVAC Schedules

HVACOperationSchd on/off Through 12/31 WD, SummerDesign 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1

(Fan Schedule) Sat, WinterDesign 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1

Sun, Hol, Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Internal Loads 

Schedules

BLDG_LIGHT_SCH Fraction Through 12/31 WD, SummerDesign 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.05

Sat, WinterDesign 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05

Sun, Hol, Other 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05

BLDG_EQUIP_SCH Fraction Through 12/31 WD, SummerDesign 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4

Sat, WinterDesign 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Sun, Hol, Other 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

BLDG_OCC_SCH Fraction Through 12/31 WD 0.5 0.95 0.95 0.95 0.95 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.05 0.05

SummerDesign 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.05 0.05

Sat, WinterDesign 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.05 0.05 0 0 0 0 0

Sun, Hol, Other 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0 0 0 0 0 0

HVAC Schedules

HVACOperationSchd on/off Through 12/31 WD, SummerDesign 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0

(Fan Schedule) Sat, WinterDesign 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Sun, Hol, Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0