EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30

~ . ( 

()Battelle 

January 30, 1995 

Edward O. Pollock, Jr. 

U.S. Department of Energy 

1000 Independence Avenue, S.W. 

Forrestal Building, EE-431 

Washington, D.C. 20585 

Dear Mr~ Pollock, 

Pacific ~orthwest Laboratories 

Battelle Bouievard 

P.O. Box 999 

Richland, Washington 99352 

Telephone (509) 375-3679 

Enclosed are three documents providing load profile assumptions to be used in 

the energy impacts modeling component of the Commercial Equipment Standards 

Program. These documents provide assumptions for 1) service water heating 

loads, 2) lights and plug loads, and 3) occupancy loads for commercial 

buildings. These documents complete the required deliverable for Task 2.4 

Develop Building Types and Load Profiles under the Project Management Plan. 

A follow-on activity has been proposed for FY95 funding to prepare and publish 

a referenceable document describing the recommended load profile assumptions. 

Since there is no referenceable documention of the load profile assumptions at 

this time, a condensed version of the enclosed material will be included with 

Task 2.5 Estimate Energy Savings' deliverable to describe how the assumptions 

were made. 

We welcome any comments or input you may have regarding the enclosed material. 

Please feel free to contact Ron Jarnagin at 509/375-3813 or me if you have any 

questions or comments. 

Sincerely, 

J. Steven 

~/~ Schliesing 

Research Engineer 

Analytic Science and Engineering Department 

JSS/cb 

Enclosures 

cc: CE Adams 

W Hui 

RH Karney 

C Nasseri 

EO Pollock (project files) 

JD Ryan 
EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30

Service Water Heating Loads 

Steven Schliesing 

January 30, 1995 

Introduction: Sizing a water heater for a particular commercial application requires 

consideration of the one-hour, two-hour, and/or three-hour peak hot water demands of the 

application. For storage water systems, these design hot water demands may be met by 

various combinations of storage and energy input capacity of the water heating system. Most 

sources of data on commercial service water heating have concentrated on providing the peak 

design load information needed for sizing purposes. However, the Commercial Equipment 

Standards Program (CESP) is interested in the energy impacts of design changes in 

commercial service water heating systems and equipment. 

Estimation of the energy impacts of efficiency improvements in water heating equipment 

requires some knowledge of the day-to-day hot water usage characteristics for each of the 

commercial applications a particular water heater might be used for. Usage can be 

characterized by an hourly profile of hot water demand for a given application. 

Development of these hourly demand profiles for service water heating was one of the 

activities of the building types and load profiles task and is the subject of this document. 

Once appropriate assumptions are made for these loads, the energy required to meet the hot 

water demand can be calculated as a function of the supply or ground-water temperature, the 

delivery or storage temperature of the water, standby and circulation energy losses from the 

water heating system, and the thermal efficiency of the water heating equipment. 

CESP will use HOTCALC 2.0 (EPRI 1993) to analyze efficiency improvements in 

commercial water heaters. HOTCALC is a simulation program developed by D.W. Abrams, 

P.E. and Associates for the Electric Power Research Institute· (EPRI). HOTCALC was 

created to allow researchers to evaluate a variety of water heating technologies and designs. 

The program allows the user to specify volumetric hot water load profiles to evaluate 

particular commercial water heating applications. The volumetric load profiles used by 

HOTCALC represent the fraction of a given day's total hot water consumption that is 

demanded each hour of the day. HOTCALC allows the user to provide a primary and 

secondary day profile. The user also specifies the number of primary and secondary days in 

each month. Optionally, the user may provide primary and secondary day multipliers for 

each month to model seasonal variations in the volumetric loads. The user must also provide 

values for primary and secondary day total hot water consumption (i.e. total gallons 

consumed for each of these day types for the specific application to be modeled). 

For the CESP, water heating applications that will be considered are retail, office, 

warehouse, education, assembly, worship, hotel/motel, restaurant, and multifamily. A 

number of different sources were evaluated to develop assumptions for representative 

volumetric load profiles and total hot water consumption for each commercial application. 

This document reviews the sources of information on commercial service water heating 

volumetric load profiles and consumption levels. Then, recommendations for the 

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EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30

assumptions to use for each commercial application are made. 

Sources of Information: Sources of volumetric hot water load data for commercial 

applications are extremely limited. Most available information on hot water use is in the 

form of end-use consumption data. These data include the effects of system design and 

efficiency when delivering the volumetric hot water load for a given application. Sources 

which specifically address volumetric loads are discussed below: 

ASHRAE Handbook (ASHRAE 1980) 

The most comprehensive source of load information for commercial application service 

water heating has been the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning 

Engineers' (ASHRAE) Systems Handbook. This handbook provides data for service water 

heating system design. Such data include representative hot water utilization temperatures 

and hot water demands for various commercial building use categories. Early versions of the 

handbook (1980 and before) include eleven hourly flow profiles for typical commercial 

building types. Much of the usage data comes from work sponsored by the Edison Electric 

Institute. The study metered hot water flows in 129 buildings, and the work was completed 

in 1969. The sizing and energy estimation data in the handbook have received some 

criticism recently because of the age of the sources. 

ASHRAE RP 600 (Thrasher and DeWerth 1994) 

To address the need for new water heater sizing data, ASHRAE funded a research project 

(RP 600) which was conducted specifically to update the data on service water heating 

system use patterns. The project work was divided into two phases -- Phase 1 during which 

an extensive literature review was conducted -- and Phase 2 during which field metering was 

conducted to supplementary weak ares in the existing data with new information. 

Types of data the researchers were interested in include gallons of water consumed, seasonal 

average consumption, and demographic effects for each building use category. Relevant 

figures from literature examined in Phase 1 are included in the Phase 1 report. Some of 

these figures are of hourly consumption. The peak and average consumption data collected 

from the literature should provide a good comparison for the consumption data available in 

the ASHRAE handbook. A summary of the hourly data collected in the literature study 

follows: 

Restaurants: Daily hot water demand profiles in liters/hr for an average winter day 

and an average summer day respectively are presented from a 1987 study by Perlman 

and Chiarelli. This is the only hourly data the authors included. 

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Schools: No hourly data are presented. 

Hotels and Motels: The authors report finding no actual hourly profIles. A 1980 

DOE source provides a sketch of a typical hourly use profile. The sketch shows 

guest room peak usage occurring from 6-10 AM and again from 5-8 PM. Laundry 

use occurs during the morning guest room peak, and kitchen use starts at around 5 

AM and continues fairly constantly through 11 PM. It is noted that consumption for 

this building type occurs in guest rooms, laundry, food service, and physical fitness 

facilities. 

Multi-family: Discussion of this data is included in the discussion of the NYSERDA 

multi-family study below. 

During Phase 2 of the research, hot water consumption was monitored at five commercial 

buildings in four different building use categories. Building use categories were nursing 

home, coed and women's dormitories, full-service restaurant, and hotel. The original intent 

was to look at many more sites, but needed support from utilities and industry was not 

obtained. Because of the limited sample size, the data collected are not statistically 

representative of the hot water use of these building types. However, the study does provide 

an additional source of original information. Consumption patterns provided for hotels and 

restaurants are summarized below: 

Hotel: Weekday guest-room daily maximum flows occur between 6:30 and 9:00 AM. 

The maximum one-hour weekday flow occurs between 6:30 and 8:00 AM. Weekend 

peak flow occurs between 6:00 and 10:00 AM. The weekend peak one-hour flow 

occurs between 6:00 and 9:00 AM. The time of occurrence of the laundry and 

kitchen flows is highly variable. 

Full-service restaurant: Weekday one-hour maximum flow occurs at 1 PM. The 

maximum 2-hour flow occurs at 2 PM. The maximum 3-hour flow occurs at 3 PM. 

On weekends, the maximums occur most often during the evening hours. 

NYSERDA Study (Goldner 1994) 

An extensive research effort was funded by NYSERDA on service hot water loads, and 

system sizing and selection for multi-family buildings. The work was conducted in two 

phases. The first phase of the study looked at domestic hot water consumption and demand 

levels relative to new (not yet released) ASHRAE guidelines. The second phase concerned 

itself with sizing and selection of DHW equipment and systems for multifamily buildings and 

is still underway. 

The project developed 1.5 year's worth of monitored DHW flows, recirculation flow, fuel 

flows, temperatures before and after mixing valve and return loop, boiler cycle times and 

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EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30

burner run times. This data was developed so that a reliable data source could be used for 

sizing purposes. The project also developed sizing guidelines. 

Data is from two Energy Management and Research Associates (EMRA) studies in NYC 

(thirty buildings) for NYSERDA as well as a compilation of results from other studies in 

seven locations in the US and Canada (22 additional sites). This other data were collected 

for ASHRAE RP600. A composite profile of weekday versus weekend hot water 

consumption per occupant was developed from the metered data. 

ASHRAE Energy Standard Simulation Profiles (ASHRAE 1989) 

Perhaps the most familiar source of hot water demand data for many energy modelers is the 

set of service water heating load profiles provided in ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-1989, 

Energy Efficient Design of New Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. These 

data are included in the "Building Energy Cost Budget Method" compliance section (Section 

13) of the standard. The profiles are "building schedule percentage multipliers" and are 

supplied for assembly, office, retail, warehouse, school, hotel/motel, restaurant, health, and 

multi-family building types. These multipliers are used in conjunction with specified service 

hot water quantities for each building type to establish hourly values of service water heating 

loads. Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday profiles are provided for each building type. The 

service hot water quantities provided by the standard for use with the load profiles represent 

the energy content of heated water used for each application. Consequently, the profiles, if 

suitably scaled, can be used with any value of daily average hot water demand in gallons to 

represent the hourly demand for hot water based on that daily demand total. Surprisingly, 

the profiles are not identical to those provided in the ASHRAE handbook. 

TVA Study (Silver and Burrows 1983) 

Hot water use data were also collected as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority'S (TVA's) 

Commercial and Industrial Active Solar Systems project. At the time the project was 

reported on in the literature (1983), monitoring 'had been completed at 5 hotels/motels, 4 fullservice restaurants, 3 other restaurants, 1 apartment, 4 health-care facilities, and 2 personal 

services structures. Additional structures in the process of being monitored included 1 

hotel/motel, 1 full service restaurant, 1 other restaurant, 2 school dormitories, 2 other school 

facilities, 1 apartment, 1 health care facility, and 1 personal service facility. 

In the monitoring projects, data for both energy used for hot water heating, and actual flow 

of hot water were collected. These data were collected on 15 minute integration periods. 

Flow data were used to provide values for the "amount of hot water used during anyone 

hour as a fraction of the hot water use for the entire day" for each monitored site. Data in 

this format can be used to develop hourly volumetric load profiles if the average daily 

volumetric load is known. The author's compare their fmdings with data provided in the 

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EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30 " 

1980 ASHRAE Handbook. They note that while this data were also derived from field 

metering efforts, they were collected before the oil embargo, and usage patterns have 

potentially changed since then. A review of findings from the study relevant to our work 

follows: 

Hotels/Motels: The authors report that their data correlates well with the ASHRAE 

Handbook data. 

Apartments: The authors' data from two monitored sites shows a greater percent of 

the daily use occurring during the morning. The ASHRAE Handbook profile is 

relatively flat while data from the two monitored sites go to zero loads during the 

early AM hours. 

Full-service restaurants: The ASHRAE profile shows no consumption until 8 AM. 

Representative data from two of the monitoring sites shows residual early AM 

consumption tailing off between 4 and 5 AM and then picking back up immediately. 

The collected data seems to correlate well with the ASHRAE 90.1 profiles. 

EPRI Commercial Water Heating Applications Handbook (EPRI 1992) 

This book was prepared by D. W. Abrams and Associates for EPRI and provides the 

technical background for using EPRI's HOTCALC program. The handbook reproduces the 

1980 ASHRAE Handbook hourly flow profiles for commercial buildings. These profiles are 

included with the HOTCALC program as example volumetric hourly loads. The handbook 

also presents average hourly volumetric load profiles for six commercial water heating 

applications in Georgia. These applications are full service and fast food restaurants, 

laundromat, college cafeteria, supermarket, and nursing home laundry. 

Recommendations and Assumptions: 

It is recommended that normalized ASHRAE simulation profiles be used as the basis for hot 

water volumetric load assumptions with the exception of the multi-family profiles. These 

profiles should be drawn from the NYSERDA study. The ASHRAE profiles are the most 

comprehensive source of information to cover all the building types and weekday/weekend 

variations of interest. The ASHRAE Handbook averge day consumption values should be 

used in conjunction with these profiles to predict hourly hot water volumetric loads for each 

application. 

Table 1 provides the hourly primary and secondary volumetric load values as they should be 

used in HOTCALC for the CESP. The primary profile for each application is the 

normalized weekday ASHRAE profile. The secondary profile is the normalized average of 

the Saturday and Sunday profiles from ASHRAE. The ASHRAE data was also used to 

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EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30

develop a secondary/primary load ratio term (R) for each pair of profiles that must be used 

when setting the HOTCALC primary (P) and secondary (S) base volumetric loads. R is the 

ratio of weekend consumption per day to weekday consumption per day as observed in the 

ASHRAE data. Values of R for each application are also included in Table 1. To correctly 

set P and S, use the following equations: 

p = (1) 

(2) 

where D is the average day hot water demand for the application type. These equations were 

developed assuming that primary loads occur' on weekdays and secondary loads occur on 

weekends. they must be adjusted accordingly if other assumptions are used. Values of D to 

use for each application can be calculated as the product of the average day hot water use per 

service unit and the number of service units in the facility under consideration (varies with 

size of the establishment). Values of average day hot water use for commercial building 

applications are listed in Table 2 along with hot water utilization temperatures and 

appropriate service units for each application. These data were taken from a 1993 ADL 

report, Characterization of Commercial Building Appliances, the ASHRAE Handbook, the 

ASHRAE energy standard, and recent literature. 

HOTCALC provides default assumptions for numbers of primary and secondary days per 

month. Note that the average day usage for schools and restaurants is based on actual days 

of operation. These building types will require a special set of primary and secondary day 

counts for HOTCALC. The equations for P and S may be used for these applications as 

long as there is a roughly 5 to 2 ratio of primary days to secondary days. All other building 

types can use the default counts and the above equations for P and S. 

Draft CESP Service Water Heating Profiles Page 6 

, .' 
EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30 Table 1. Fraction of Daily Hot Water Use for Each Hour in Commercial Applications Hour 

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 

90.1 Normalized SWH Schedules 

Assembly 

Weekday 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.071 0.071 0.500 0.071 0.071 0.071 0.071 0.071 0.000 0.000 0.000 0

Weekend 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.042 0.042 0.125 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.542 0

Office 

Weekday 0.000 0,000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0,034 0.069 0,080 0,080 0,103 0,126 0,115 0,069 0.069 0,092 0.046 0,046 0.023 0

Weekend 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0,000 0,000 0.074 0.074 0.148 0.111 0.148 0.111 0,111 0.074 0,074 0,074 0,000 0.000 0.000 0

Retail 

Weekday 0.000 0,000 0.000 0.000 0,000 0.000 0.000 0.018 0.036 0.055 0.073 0.100 0.109 0.109 0.082 0.073 0.082 0.082 0.073 0.055 0Weekend 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.018 0.024 0.042 0.077 0.095 0.107 0.107 0.089 0.089 0,095 0,089 0.071 0.042 0

Warehouse 

Weekday 0.000 0.000 0.000 0,000 0,000 0.000 0.000 0.015 0.076 0.106 0.106 0.136 0.167 0.121 0.106 0,121 0.045 0,000 0.000 0.000 0Weekend 0.000 0.000 0.000 0,000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.286 0.286 0.429 0,000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0,000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0

School 

Weekday 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0,000 0.000 0.009 0.052 0,095 0.103 0.121 0.129 0.138 0.103 0.103 0,009 0.009 0,026 0.034 0Weekend 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0,000 0.000 0.000 0,000 0,000 0.000 0,000 0.000 0,000 0.000 0.000 0,000 0.000 0

Hotel/Motel . 

Weekday 0.022 0,017 0.017 0.017 0.022 0.028 0.056 0.067 0.061 0,050 0.044 0,050 0,044 0.039 0.033 0.033 0,033 0.044 0,061 0.067 0

Weekend 0.024 0.019 0.019 0.019 0.022 0.030 0.049 0.054 0.054 0,057 0.052 0.054 0.049 0,046 0.038 0,038 0.035 0.049 0.057 0,057 0

Restaurant 

Weekday 0.025 0.019 0.019 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.076 0.070 0.057 0.051 0,057 0.051 0.044 0.038 0.038 0.038 0.051 0.070 0.076 0

Weekend 0.033 0.026 0,026 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.037 0.070 0.074 0.066 0.063 0.052 0.052 0.048 0.059 0.077 0.077 0

Multi-Family 

Weekday 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.007 0.007 0.007 0.119 0.104 0.074 0.059 0.030 0,030 0,037 0,037 0.074 0.074 0.104 0.104 0,052 0,030 0

Weekend 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.017 0,054 0.062 0.062 0.041 0.041 0,045 0.054 0.103 0.128 0.116 0.083 0.062 0.045 0

NYSERDA Normalized SWH Schedule Multi-Family 

Weekday 0:023 0.015 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.027 0.049 0,064 0.049 0.049 0,053 0,049 0,045 0,042 0.042 0.042 0,045 0.053 0.061 0,057 

Weekend 0,021 0.018 0,014 0.011 0,011 0.014 0,021 0,028 0.042 0,056 0.070 0,074 0,074 0,063 0.056 0,053 0,053 0.053 0,053 0,049 

Page 7 
EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30

Table 2. Service Hot Water Quantities and Utilization Temperatures 

Building Type .. Service Unit Average Day Hot Water 

Hot Water Use Temperature 

.. .</ .... ···.··.·./t·.· .. (gal/unit/day) ("F) 

Assembly person .25 140 

Worship person .25 140 

Office person 1.0 120 

Retail person 3.9 120 

Warehouse person 5.4 140 

School student 1.8 110 

Hotel/Motel room 10.0 (100+ units) 140 

14.0 (60 units) 

20.0 (20- units) 

Restaurant avg. meal 2.4 160 

Multi-family apartment 35.0 (200+ units) 115 

37.0 (100 units) 

38.0 (75 units) 

40.0 (50 units) 

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, 

, -, 

Table 3. HOTCALC Default Days Per Month 

.... Month Priinary Days Secondary Days 

Jan 23 8 

Feb 20 8 

Mar 23 8 

Apr 22 8 

May 23 8 

Jun 22 8 

Jul 23 8 

Aug 23 8 

Sep 22 8 

Oct 23 8 

Nov 22 8 

Dec 23 8 

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References: 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. 

(ASHRAE) 1980 ASHRAE Handbook: Systems and Equipment. Atlanta, Georgia: 1980. 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. 

(ASHRAE) 1989. ASHRAEIIES Standard 90.1-1989, "Energy Efficient Design of New 

Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings." Atlanta, Georgia. 

Arthur D. Little, Inc. (ADL) 1993. Characterization of Commercial Building Appliances -

Final Report. U.S. Department of Energy Office of Building Technologies: August, ·1993. 

Electric Power Research Institute. (EPRI) 1992. Commercial Water Heating Applications 

Handbook. EPRI TR-I00212. Prepared by D.W. Abrams, P.E. & Associates, P.C., 

Atlanta, Georgia for the Electric Power Research Institute. Palo Alto, California: December 

1992. 

Electric Power Research Institute. (EPRI) 1993. HOTCALC 2.0 Commercial Water 

Heating Performance Simulation Tool User's Guide. EPRI CM-I00211, R1. Prepared by 

D.W. Abrams, P.E. & Associates, P.C., Atlanta, Georgia for the Electric Power Research 

Institute. Palo Alto, California: June 1993. 

Goldner, F. 1994. "DHW System Sizing Criteria for Multifamily Buildings," ASHRAE 

Transactions, Vol. 100, Pt. 1. 

Thrasher, W. H. and D. W. Dewerth. 1994. "New Hot-Water Use Data for Five 

Commercial Buildings (RP-600)" , ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 100, Pt. 1. 

Silver, J.D. and D.L. Burrows. 1983. "Assessment of Data on Hot Water Use in 

Commercial Establishments." Proceedings of World Energy Engineering Congress. Atlanta, . 

Georgia: November, 1993, pp 155-158. 

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EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30

Lights and Plug Loads 

Mark Halverson 

January 23, 1995 

Introduction: Lights and plug loads represent a significant fraction of building internal loads 

for many building types. Typically, these loads are represented by a peak value (in watts per 

square foot) and a profile that describes the hourly magnitude with respect to the peak. 

These profiles are typically "hat-shaped", with a "crown" representing the peak period and a 

"brim" representing the off-hours. In between the "crown" and "brim" is a transition period 

representing the period between when the light and plug loads first start to increase and when 

these loads are fully "on" during the "crown" period. 

The significant characteristics of the profile are the duration of the "crown", the duration of 

the transition period, and the relative magnitude of the off-hour "brim" with regards to the 

peak. The peak load and profile are unique for each building, but a great amount of 

similarity exists for buildings of the same type and occupancy. For example, while each 

office building is unique, most office buildings exhibit a peak lighting load of 1-2 watts per 

square foot and a profile that indicates most of the lights are on from 9 AM to 5PM each 

working day, with a 1-2 hour transition period on either side of the "crown". Differences 

appear when looking at the transition periods and the magnitude of the off-hours load. If 

building occupants are allowed or required to come to work early (or late), the "crown" 

period may shift 1 or more hours in either direction. Depending on how many occupants 

arrive early (or late) and the lighting control scheme in the building, the transition period 

may be shortened, lengthened or even eliminated. The magnitude of the off-hour lighting 

load is also affected by occupant behavior and by the presence or absence of effective 

lighting controls. 

While each building is unique, researchers . into building performance and developers of 

building energy standards must often choose a representative description of the lighting and 

plug loads for simulation purposes. In the standards arena, ASHRAE SSPC 90.1 has 

developed a number of typical profiles for use in their Energy Cost Budget (ECB) method. 

These profiles, while not representative of any particular building or even any identifiable set 

of buildings, represent the professional judgement of the members of the committee about the 

appearance of plug and light profiles. This judgement is influenced by another major body 

of knowledge - metered data from individual buildings. This data is available from a number 

of sources and is usually collected by utilities or government agencies for use in energy 

conservation and demand side management programs. 

In an ideal world, metered data from a large number of buildings would be available so that 

statistically significant average profiles and error bands could be developed for each desired 

building type. The current state of building research is not ideal (at least not yet), so 

compromises must be made. The approach taken in this report is to describe the "typical" 

profiles used in the ASHRAE SSPC 90.1 standards development process and then make note 

of specific metered data that provides additional information that may be useful in deciding 

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EE-RM-STD-00-100 COMMENT 30

how "typical" the standards profiles really are and where use of the "typical" profiles may be 

a problem. 

Sources of Information: Two categories of light and plug profile information are available -

recommended simulation profiles from ASHRAE and metered data from a variety of 

metering projects. One important characteristic to remember when comparing simulation 

profiles and metered data is there is quite often a 1 hour time shift involved in the profiles. 

In simulation profiles, the value labelled "12" or "noon" represents the load that is to be used 

for the time period from 12 noon to IPM. In metered data, the value labelled "12" or 

"noon" typically represents the load that was measured for the time period from llAM to 12 

noon. This can be a significant difference, especially when comparing the transition periods. 

ASHRAE Simulation Profiles 

Recommended simulation profiles for a number of building types are found in ASHRAE/IES 

Standard 90.1-1989, Energy Efficient Design of New Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential 

Buildings. Data from this source are labelled "90.1-1989". 

The profiles in ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-1989 were modified in 1993 through ASHRAE' s 

addenda process. Addenda 90.1j revised a number of simulation profiles by increasing the 

magnitude of off-hours loads. Data from this source are labelled "90.1-1989j". 

ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 is undergoing extensive revision as required by ASHRAE on a 

5-year basis. The draft standard, called ASHRAE/IES 90.1-1989R, is still in committee 

review, but should be available for public review in early 1995. Extensive revision was 

made to the recommended simulation profiles in the energy cost budget compliance 

supplement to the standard. Data from this source are labelled "90.1-1989R". 

Metered Data 

The End-Use Load and Consumer Assessment Program (ELCAP) developed profiles for a 

number of commercial building types. Three reports were used from this program. The 

report "Description of Electric Energy Use in the Commercial Buildings in the Pacific 

Northwest" (DOE-BP-13795-22) provides average profiles for a number of building types. 

Data from this source are labelled "ELCAPa". The supplementary report "Description of 

Electric Energy Use in the Commercial Buildings in the Pacific Northwest: 1992 

Supplement" (DOE/BP-1958) provides more detailed average information for 5 building 

types. Data from this source are labelled "ELCAPb". The report "Comparison of ELCAP 

Data with Lighting and Equipment Load Levels and Profiles Assumed in Regional Models" 

(PNL-7449) provides similar information for individual retail and office buildings. Data 

from this source are labelled "ELCAPc". 

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The Pacific Gas and Electric (PGE) report "End-Use Metering in Commercial Buildings -

1991 Summary Results" provides useful profile information for a number of building types. 

Data from this source are labelled "PGE". 

Metering of the DOE Headquarters Building by the Federal Energy Management Program 

(FEMP) led to plug and light profiles for this building as documented in Halverson et al. 

Data from this source are labelled "DOE". 

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Lighting Loads 

Lighting loads are discussed in a structured fonnat as shown below. This section is 

organized: 

• Building Type 

• Load 

• Discussion of Profile 

• Description of ASHRAE Profiles 

• Description of Metered Data Profiles 

• Recommended Profile 

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Building Type: OFFICE 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical office building lighting profile is the classic "hat" shape 

with a single peak period occurring for most of the working day and a lower off-hour period. 

The peak period is typically 6-10 hours. A transition period between the peak and off-hour 

period is typically 1-3 hours depending on occupant behavior and lighting control schemes. 

Office buildings are typically active Monday through Friday, with minimal activity on 

Saturdays and ev~n less on Sundays. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 9 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak and 5 hour transition period starting 

at 6 PM after the peak. Off hour usage is non-existent, except for minimal usage 

from 7 AM to 5 PM on Saturday. Peak load is estimated at 1.35 w/sf for large 

buildings to 1.71 w/sf for small buildings. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989 except that off-hour usage has been increased 

from 0 w/sf to 0.075 w/sf for large buildings and 0.095 w/sf for small buildings. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 8 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak and 6 hour transition period starting 

at 5 PM after the peak. Off hour usage is minimal and constant on weekends. Peak 

load is estimated at 1.49 w/sf. Off hour usage is estimated at 0.083 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

ELCAPb - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Average peak load estimated at 1.5 w/sf. 

Average off-hour load estimated at 0.4 w/sf. 

ELCAPc - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Older buildings (prior to 1989) show peak 

loads of 1.93 w/sf, while newer buildings show peak loads of 1.35 w/sf. Older 

buildings show unoccupied loads of 0.48 w/sf, while newer buildings show 

unoccupied loads of about 0.41 w/sf. 

PGE - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Peak loads range from 1.2 w/sf for large 

offices to 1.5 wi sf for small offices. Off-hour loads range from 0.15 w/sf for small 

offices to 0.3 wi sf for large offices. Thus, small offices are likely to have more 

lights per square foot, but these lights are more likely to be turned off during offhours. 

DOE - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Peak loads for this single building range from 

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1.5 wlsf prior to a lighting retrofit to 0.7 wlsf after the lighting retrofit. Prior to the 

retrofit, the building had been delamped so lighting loads would have originally been 

even higher. Approximately 40 % of these lights are on even during off-hours due to 

poor lighting control strategies. Thus, off-hour loads range from 0.6 wlsf prior to the 

retrofit to 0.3 wi sf after the retrofit. This is considerably higher than other metered 

data. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The recommended profile is the 90 .1-1989j. This set of profiles is better because it 

accounts for some weekend usage. However, peak load magnitude presents an issue 

that should be addressed in a sensitivity study. Peak working day estimates range 

from 0.7 wi sf to 1.9 wlsf, with most of the estimates falling in the range of 1.3 wi sf 

to 1.5 wi sf. The impact of very low or very high peak lighting loads should be 

examined. Additionally, the magnitude of the base off-hour load should be studied. 

Estimates for this value range from 0 wlsf to 0.6 wi sf, with most metered estimates 

being in the range of 0.2 wi sf to 0.4 wlsf. Again, the impact of very high or very 

low off-hour lighting loads should be examined. 

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Building Type: RET AIL 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical retail building lighting profile is again "hat" shaped, but 

with shorter or non-existent transition periods than office buildings. Usually, the lights in a 

retail building are on if the business is open and off if the business is closed. The peak 

period is typically 10 hours. Retail buildings are typically active all days of the week, with 

reduced hours on Sunday. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 9 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak and 3 hour transition period starting 

at 6 PM after the peak. The peak period is reduced to 8 hours on Saturday and 5 

hours on Sunday. Peak load is estimated at 1.89 w/sf for large buildings to 2.97 w/sf 

for small buildings. Off-hour usage is negligible. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989 except that off-hour usage has been increased 

from 0 wI sf to 0.105 w/sf for large buildings and 0.165 w/sf for small buildings. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 10 hours starting at 9 AM with a one hour 

transition period starting at 8 AM before the peak and 2 hour transition period starting 

at 7 PM after the peak. Saturdays are the same as weekdays. Sunday peak periods 

are reduced to 7 hours starting at 11 AM. Peak load is estimated at 2.25 wI sf. Off 

hour usage is estimated at 0.125 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

ELCAPb - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Peak lighting loads are 1.4 wI sf. Off-hour 

loads are about 0.3 w/ft2. 

ELCAPc - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. In existing buildings (prior to 1989), peak 

lighting loads are about 1.5 w/sf during occupied hours and 0.32 w/sf during 

unoccupied periods. In newer buildings, the peak occupied load was 1.16 w/sf, with 

0.12 w/sf during unoccupied hours. 

PGE - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Small retail buildings show peak loads of 1.8 

wI sf, while larger retail buildings show peak loads of 1.1 w/sf. Off-hour loads are 

about 0.3 w/sf for both sizes of bUilding. 

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Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90 .1-1989R profile is recommended for the increased levels of lighting shown on 

weekends. Peak lighting load estimates range from 1.1 w/sf to 2.9 wi sf, with 

metered results tending to fall in the lower part of the range. A value of 1.5 w/sf 

would match much of the metered data, but higher and lower values should be 

examined in a sensitivity study. Off-hour base load estimates range from 0 wi sf to 

0.3 w/sf, with metered data indicating 0.1 wi sf to 0.3 wi sf. A value of 0.2 wi sf is 

recommended. 

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Building Type: WAREHOUSE 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical warehouse building lighting profile is again "hat" shaped, 

but with shorter or non-existent transition periods than office buildings. Usually, the lights 

in a warehouse are on if the business is open and off if the business is closed. Weekends 

show minimal loads. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 8 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak. Saturday loads are much lower 

and Sunday loads are non-existent. Peak load is estimated at 0.36 wi sf for large 

buildings to 0.72 wlsf for small buildings. Off-hour usage is negligible. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 8 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak and 1 hour transition period starting 

at 6 PM after the peak. Saturdays have a peak period of 5 hours starting at 10 AM. 

Sundays show no peak loads. Peak load is estimated at 0.45 wi sf. Off hour usage is 

estimated at 0.025 wi sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

EICAPb - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Peak lighting loads are 0.6 wi sf. Off-hour 

loads are about 0.1 wi sf. 

POE - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Peak lighting loads are 0.7 wi sf. Off-hour 

loads are about 0.2 wi sf. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989R profile is recommended due to increased usage associated with 

weekends. The peak load estimates range from 0.4 wi sf to 0.7 wlsf, with most 

values falling near 0.6 w/sf. Off-hour base load estimates range from 0 wlsf to 0.2 

wlsf, with 0.1 wlsf representing a suitable average. 

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Building Type: EDUCATION 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical education building lighting profile is again "hat" shaped, 

but with shorter or non-existent transition periods than office buildings. Usually, the lights 

in a school building are either on or off. Note that school buildings include both elementary 

schools, which might be expected to operate on an 8 AM to 5 PM basis, secondary schools 

which might be expected to have significant extracurricular activities at night, and colleges 

and universities which may have evening classes. This is a highly varied building type. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 7 hours starting at 9 AM with a one hour 

transition period starting at 8 AM before the peak and 6 hour transition period starting 

at 6 PM after the peak. The peak period is eliminated on Saturday and Sunday. 

Peak load is estimated at 1.43 wi sf for large elementary schools to 2.28 wi sf for 

small technical/vocational buildings. Off-hour usage is negligible. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989 except that some small amounts of lighting are 

shown during off-hours. Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.03 to 0.05 wi sf. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 7 hours starting at 9 AM with a one hour 

transition period starting at 8 AM before the peak, a 3 hour transition period starting 

at 4 PM after the peak, followed by another lower 3 hour peak from 7 PM on. 

Saturdays and Sundays show minimal usage. Peak usage is estimated at 1.49 w/sf. 

Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.083 wi sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

ELCAPa - The profile is similar to the ASHRAE profile, but shifted towards the 

afternoon. This very small sample of schools (2) shows a peak load of 0.9 wi sf and 

off-hour loads of 0.1 w/sf." .~ 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90 .1-1989R profile is recommended for its use of a secondary weekday peak: in 

the evening. Peak: load estimates range from 0.9 wlsf to 2.3 wlsf, with most 

estimates falling between 1.4 wi sf and 2.3 wi sf. A sensitivity study may be useful in 

establishing the importance of the peak: load. Off-hour base load estimates range 

from 0 wi sf to 0.1 wlsf, with 0.1 wlsf providing a representative average. 

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Building Type: WORSHIP 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of Proflle: The typical worship building or church lighting proflle is again "hat" 

shaped, but hours of occupancy are likely to much different from a typical office buildings. 

In the United States, the common view of a church is that it is heavily used Sunday morning 

and vacant or lightly used the rest of the week. This is true for some churches, but other 

churches are heavily used all days of the week for worship, education, and assembly. Many 

churches have an office wing that may have office hours and usage patterns very much like 

an office. This category is highly variable. Note that sources 90.1-1989 and 90.1-1989j 

consider "churches" under the category of "assembly" 'buildings. 

Description of ASHRAE Proflles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 13 hours starting at 10 AM with a three hour 

transition period before the peak and a 1 hour transition period after the peak. 

Similar profiles with somewhat lower peaks on Saturday and Sunday. Peak load is 

estimated at 1.88 wi sf. Off-hour usage is negligible. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 6 hours starting at 6 PM with a 3 hour 

transition period before the peak, and a 1 hour transition period starting at 4 PM after 

the peak. Saturdays show a longer 11 hour peak (starting at 1 PM) and Sundays 

show an earlier 4 hour peak (starting at 9 AM). Peak usage is estimated at 2.25 wi sf. 

Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.125 wi sf. 

Description of Metered Data Proflles: 

No metered data available for this building type. 

Recommended Proflle and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989R proflle is recommended. Peak load estimates range from 1.9 to 2.25 

w/sf. The 2.25 wi sf value is recommended for consistency with the proflle. Offhour usage is estimated at 0.125 wi sf. 

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Building Type: ASSEMBLY 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical assembly building lighting profile is again "hat" shaped, 

but hours of occupancy are likely to much different from a typical office buildings. This 

category includes museums, dance halls, auditoriums, gymnasiums, sports facilities, and 

churches. The descriptions of occupancy by ASHRAE are identical to those of churches. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 13 hours starting at 10 AM with a three hour 

transition period before the peak and a 1 hour transition period after the peak. 

Similar profiles with somewhat lower peaks on Saturday and Sunday. Peak load is 

estimated at 1.88 wi sf. Off-hour usage is negligible. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 6 hours starting at 6 PM with a 3 hour 

transition period before the peak, and a 1 hour transition period starting at 4 PM after 

the peak. Saturdays show a longer 11 hour peak (starting at 1 PM) and Sundays 

show an earlier 4 hour peak (starting at 9 AM). Peak usage is estimated at 2.25 wi sf. 

Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.125 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

No metered data available for this building type. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90 .1-1989R profile is recommended. Peak load estimates range from 1. 9 to 2.25 

w/sf. The 2.25 wi sf value is recommended for consistency with the profile. Offhour usage is estimated at 0.125 wi sf. 

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Building Type: FOOD SERVICE 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of Proflle: The typical food service building lighting proflle is again "hat" 

shaped, with all lights either on or off. The lights are on when food is being served. 

Obviously, a 24 hour restaurant will have a much different proflle than a lunch counter that 

serves only breakfast and lunch. 

Description of ASHRAE Proflles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a 12 hour peak period starting at 11 AM with a three hour 

transition period before the peak and a 2 hour transition period after the peak. 

Similar proflles with somewhat lower peaks on Saturday and Sunday. Off-hour usage 

is estimated to be significant even during the low period from 1-4 AM. Peak usage is 

estimated at 1.17 w / sf for large cafeterias to 1. 98 w / sf for small leisure dining 

establishments. Off-hour usage is estimated 0.195 w/sf to 0.33 w/sf for the same 

establishments. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Very similar to 90.1-1989. Peak usage is estimated at 1.26 w/sf. Offhour usage is estimated at 0.14 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Proflles: 

ELCAPb - Similar to ASHRAE proflles. Peak loads are 1.6 w/sf. Off-hour loads 

are 0.3 w/sf. 

PGE - Similar to ASHRAE proflles. Peak loads are 1.2 w/sf for sit-down 

restaurants and 1.9 w/sf for fast food restaurants. Off-hour loads are 0.4 w/sf for sitdown and 0.8 w/sf for fast food. 

Recommended Proflle and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

All ASHRAE proflles are very similar, but the 90.1-1989R proflle may be 

recommended. Peak load estimates range from 1.2 w/sf to 2.0 w/sf and this is an 

area where a sensitivity study is called for. Off-hour base load estimates range from 

0.14 w / sf to 0.8 w / sf and this could also be grounds for a sensitivity study, except 

that most food service buildings are estimated to have relatively few off-hours. 

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Building Type: LODGING 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of Proftle: Lodging includes hotels, motels, resorts, barracks, and dormitories. 

A wide diversity of individual lighting systems is likely to occur, with the result that a low 

percentage of the total lights will be on at anyone time, but with some lights on all the time. 

More lights will be on in the evening, but lighting loads will occur at all hours of the day, 7 

days a week. 

Description of ASHRAE Proftles: 

90.1-1989 - All days of the week, a peak period of 5 hours in the evening, and 

another significant peak in the morning as occupants arise. Some lights on all the 

time. Peak loads are between 1.3 and 2.0 wlsf depending on how much of the 

facility is actual guest quarters. Off-hour loads are between 0.15 and 0.2 w/sf. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Similar to 90.1-1989. Peak loads estimated at 0.1.26 wi sf. Off-hour 

loads estimated at 0.14 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Proftles: 

No metered data is available for this building type. 

Recommended Proftle and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

All ASHRAE proftles are similar. The 90.1-1989R proftle and associated peak and 

off-hour loads is recommended as being simpler to implement than the earlier 

ASHRAE proftles. 

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Building Type: LIGHT MANUFACTURING 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of Profile: Light manufacturing facilities may be utilized anywhere from a day 

shift very similar to an office building to a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week factory. The 

lighting profile will depend greatly on the work hours, with most lights on during working 

"hours. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Not covered. 

90.1-1989j - Not covered. 

90.1-1989R - Similar to office buildings. Peak usage is estimated at up to 2.25 w/sf 

for electrical shops. Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.125 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

No metered data is available for this building type. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989R profile is recommended. 

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Building Type: MULTIFAMILY 

Load: LIGHTS 

Discussion of ProfIle: Multifamily consists of apartment complexes and condominiums. 

Typical lighting profIles would include a morning peak and an evening peak, with minimal 

amounts of lighting at other times. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - All days of the week, a 2 hour peak period starting at 7 AM and a 5 hour 

peak period starting at 8 PM. No lights on during the rest of the time. Peak lighting 

load is estimated at 980 watts per dwelling unit. Depending on the size of the unit, 

this may range from 0.8 to 1.4 wi sf. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Similar to 90.1-1989, with peak lighting estimated at 0.72 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data ProfIles: 

No metered data is available for this building type. 

Recommended ProfIle and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

All ASHRAE profIles are similar. The 90.1-1989R profIle and associated peak and 

off-hour loads is recommended as being simpler to implement than the earlier 

ASHRAE profIles. The earlier ASHRAE profIles do point out that there is a 

significant latent load associated with multifamily dwellings and this point should be 

kept in mind. 

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Plug Loads 

Plug loads are discussed in a structured format as shown below. This section is organized: 

• Building Type 

• Load 

• Discussion of Profile 

• Description of ASHRAE Profiles 

• Description of Metered Data Profiles 

• Recommended Profile 

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Building Type: OFFICE 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of ProfIle: The typical office building plug load profIle is the classic "hat" shape 

with a single peak period occurring for most of the working day and a lower off-hour period. 

The peak period is typically 6-10 hours. A transition period between the peak and off-hour 

period is typically 1-3 hours depending on occupant behavior. Office buildings are typically 

active Monday through Friday, with minimal activity on Saturdays and even less on Sundays. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 9 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak and 5 hour transition period starting 

at 6 PM after the peak. Off hour usage is non-existent, except for minimal usage 

from 7 AM to 5 PM on Saturday. Peak load is estimated at 0.68 wlsf for all 

buildings. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989 except that off-hour usage has been increased 

from 0 wlsf to 0.038 wlsf for all buildings. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 8 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak and 6 hour transition period starting 

at 5 PM after the peak. Off hour usage is minimal and constant on weekends. Peak 

load is estimated at 0.68 wI sf. Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.15 wI sf. 

Description of Metered Data ProfIles: 

ELCAPb - Similar to ASHRAE profIles. Average peak load estimated at 0.8 w/sf. 

Average off-hour load estimated at 0.3 w/sf. 

ELCAPc - Similar to ASHRAE profIles. Older buildings (prior to 1989) show peak 

loads of 0.81 wlsf, while newer buildings show peak loads of 0.65 w/sf. Older 

buildings show unoccupied loads of 0.34 wI sf, while newer buildings show 

unoccupied loads of about 0.33 w/sf. 

PGE - Similar to ASHRAE profIles. Peak loads range from 0.45 wI sf for large 

offices to 0.2 wI sf for small offices. Off-hour loads range from 0.15 wlsf for small 

offices to 0.3 wI sf for large offices. 

DOE - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Peak loads for this single building range from 

0.5 wlsf in 1989 to 0.7 wlsf in 1994. Off-hour loads range from 0.3 wlsf in 1989 to 

0.4 wI sf in 1994. 

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Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989j profile is recommended for showing some increased weekend usage. 

Peak load estimates range from 0.2 w/sf to 0.8 w/sf, with most falling in the range of 

0.6 w/sf to 0.8 w/sf. Recommended peak value is 0.7 w/sf, with consideration given 

to the possibility of very low plug loads in some offices. Off-hour base load 

estimates range from 0 w/sf to 0.4 w/sf, with many falling near 0.3 w/sf. 

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Building Type: RETAIL 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical retail building plug profile is again "hat" shaped, but with 

shorter or non-existent transition periods compared to office buildings. Equipment usage is 

small. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 9 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak and 3 hour transition period starting 

at 6 PM after the peak. The peak period is reduced to 8 hours on Saturday and 5 

hours on Sunday. Peak load is estimated at 0.22 w/sf. Off-hour usage is negligible. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989 except that off-hour usage has been increased 

from 0 wlsf to 0.0125 w/sf. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 10 hours starting at 9 AM with a one hour 

transition period starting at 8 AM before the peak and 2 hour transition period starting 

at 7 PM after the peak. Saturdays are the same as weekdays. Sunday peak periods 

are reduced to 7 hours starting at 11 AM. Peak load is estimated at 0.23 w/sf. Off 

hour usage is estimated at 0.0125 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

ELCAPb - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Peak loads are 0.6 wI sf. Off-hour loads 

are about 0.2 w/ft2. 

ELCAPc - Similar to' ASHRAE profiles. In existing buildings (prior to 1989), peak 

plug loads are about 0.5 w/sfduring occupied hours and 0.1 wI sf. In newer 

buildings, the peak occupied load was 0.3 w../sf, with 0.09 wlsf during unoccupied 

hours. . 

PGE - Plug loads are mixed with water heater loads in this study and are not included 

here. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989R profile is recommended for showing increased weekend loads. Peak 

load estimates range from 0.2 wlsf to 0.6 w/sf. This could be a significant difference 

and a sensitivity study should be performed. Off-hour base loads range from 0 wlsf 

to 0.2 w/sf. A value of 0.1 wI sf is recommended. 

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Building Type: WAREHOUSE 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical warehouse building plug load profile is again "hat" 

shaped. Plug loads are very low. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 8 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak. Saturday loads are much lower 

and Sunday loads are non-existent. Peak load is estimated at 0.09 wi sf. Off-hour 

usage is negligible. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 8 hours starting at 9 AM with a two hour 

transition period starting at 7 AM before the peak and 1 hour transition period starting 

at 6 PM after the peak. Saturdays have a peak period of 5 hours starting at 10 AM. 

Sundays show no peak loads. Peak load is estimated at 0.09 w/sf. Off hour usage is 

estimated at 0.005 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

EICAPb - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Plug loads are constant at about 0.09 w/sf. 

PGE - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Peak plug loads are 0.15 w/sf. Off-hour loads 

are about 0.1 wi sf. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90 .1-1989R profile is recommended for showing increased weekend activity. 

However, metered data indicates that there is relatively little difference between the 

peak and off-hour base loads in a warehouse, so the recommended peak and off-hour 

base loads are both 0.1 wi sf. 

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Building Type: EDUCATION 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical education building plug load profile is again "hat" shaped, 

but with shorter or non-existent transition periods than office buildings. Plug loads are 

typically lower than offices, but high compared to other building types. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 7 hours starting at 9 AM with a one hour 

transition period starting at 8 AM before the peak and 6 hour transition period starting 

at 6 PM after the peak. The peak period is eliminated on Saturday and Sunday. 

Peak load is estimated at 0.48 w/sf. Off-hour usage is minimal. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989 except that minimal amounts of load are shown 

during off-hours. Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.01 wi sf. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 7 hours starting at 9 AM with a one hour 

transition period starting at 8 AM before the peak, a 3 hour transition period starting 

at 4 PM after the peak, followed by another lower 3 hour peak from 7 PM on. 

Saturdays and Sundays show minimal usage. Peak usage is estimated at 0.45 w/sf. 

Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.025 wi sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

ELCAPa - The profile is similar to the ASHRAE profile, but shifted towards the 

afternoon. This very small sample of schools (2) shows a peak load of 1.19 wlsf and 

off-hour loads of 0.1 wi sf. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989R profile and associated peak and off-hour base loads is recommended. 

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Building Type: WORSHIP 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical worship building or church plug load profile is again 

"hat" shaped, but hours of occupancy are likely to much different from a typical office 

buildings. In the United States, the common view of a church is that it is heavily used 

Sunday morning and vacant or lightly used the rest of the week. This is true for some 

churches, but other churches are heavily used all days of the week for worship, education, 

and assembly. Many churches have an office wing that may have office hours and usage 

patterns very much like an office. This category is highly variable. Note that sources 90.1-

1989 and 90.1-1989j consider "churches" under the category of "assembly" buildings. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 13 hours starting at 10 AM with a three hour 

transition period before the peak and a 1 hour transition period after the peak. 

Similar profiles with somewhat lower peaks on Saturday and Sunday. Peak load is 

estimated at 0.23 w/sf. Off-hour usage is negligible. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 6 hours starting at 6 PM with a 3 hour 

transition period before the peak, and a 1 hour transition period starting at 4 PM after 

the peak. Saturdays show a longer 11 hour peak (starting at 1 PM) and Sundays 

show an earlier 4 hour peak (starting at 9 AM). Peak usage is estimated at 0.23 wi sf. 

Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.025 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

No metered data available for this building type. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989R profile and associated peak and off-hour base load values is 

recommended. 

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Building Type: ASSEMBLY 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of ProfIle: The typical assembly building plug load profile is again "hat" shaped, 

but hours of occupancy are likely to much different from a typical office buildings. This 

category includes museums, dance halls, auditoriums, gymnasiums, sports facilities, and 

churches. The descriptions of occupancy by ASHRAE are identical to those of churches. 

Description of ASHRAE ProfIles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a peak period of 13 hours starting at 10 AM with a three hour 

transition period before the peak and a 1 hour transition period after the peak. 

Similar profIles with somewhat lower peaks on Saturday and Sunday. Peak load is 

estimated at 0.23 w/sf. Off-hour usage is negligible. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Weekdays, a peak period of 6 hours starting at 6 PM with a 3 hour 

transition period before the peak, and a 1 hour transition period starting at 4 PM after 

the peak. Saturdays show a longer 11 hour peak (starting at 1 PM) and Sundays 

show an earlier 4 hour peak (starting at 9 AM). Peak usage is estimated at 0.23 w/sf. 

Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.025 wi sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

No metered data available for this building type. 

Recommended ProfIle and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989R profIle and associated peak and off-hour base load values is 

recommended. 

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Building Type: FOOD SERVICE 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of Profile: The typical food service building plug load profile is again "hat" 

shaped. Obviously, a 24 hour restaurant will have a much different profile than a lunch 

counter that serves only breakfast and lunch. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - Weekdays, a 12 hour peak period starting at 11 AM with a three hour 

transition period before the peak and a 2 hour transition period after the peak. 

Similar profiles with somewhat lower peaks on Saturday and Sunday. Off-hour usage 

is estimated to be significant even during the low period from 1-4 AM. Peak usage is 

estimated at 0.09 wi sf. Off-hour usage is estimated 0.015 wI sf. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Very similar to 90.1-1989. Peak usage is estimated at 0.09 w/sf. Offhour usage is estimated at 0.01 wi sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

ELCAPb - Similar to ASHRAE profiles. Peak loads are 1.2 w/sf. Off-hour loads 

are 0.5 w/sf. 

PGE - Plug loads are mixed with water heating and sanitation loads in this study and 

so are not reported here. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989R profile and associated peak and off-hour base load values is 

recommended. However, the very high plug loads found in the ELCAP restaurants 

should be examined in a sensitivity study. 

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Building Type: LODGING 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of Profile: Lodging includes hotels, motels, resorts, barracks, and dormitories. 

Some plug loads are present at all times, with higher loads following lighting and occupancy . 

. Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - All days of the week, a peak period of 5 hours in the evening, and 

another significant peak in the morning as occupants arise. Some plug loads are 

active all the time. Peak loads are 0.23 w/sf. Off-hour loads are 0.025 w/sf. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Similar to 90.1-1989. Peak loads and off-hour loads are the same as 

90.1-1989. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

No metered data is available for this building type. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

All ASHRAE profiles are similar. The 90.1-1989R profile will be chosen. 

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Building Type: LIGHT MANUFACTURING 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of Proflle: Light manufacturing facilities may be utilized anywhere from a day 

shift very similar to an office building to a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week factory. The plug 

load proflle will depend greatly on the work hours, with most equipment on during working 

hours. 

Description of ASHRAE Proflles: 

90.1-1989 - Not covered. 

90.1-1989j - Not covered. 

90.1-1989R - Similar to office buildings. Peak usage is estimated at up to 0.18 wi sf 

for electrical shops. Off-hour usage is estimated at 0.01 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Proflles: 

No metered data is available for this building type. 

Recommended Proflle and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90 .1-1989R proflle is the only one available and is recommended. 

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Building Type: MULTIF AMIL Y 

Load: PLUG LOADS 

Discussion of Profile: Multifamily consists of apartment complexes and condominiums. 

Typical plug load profiles would include a morning peak and an evening peak, with 

significant but small amounts of plug loads at other times. 

Description of ASHRAE Profiles: 

90.1-1989 - All days of the week, a 2 hour peak period starting at 7 AM and a 5 hour 

peak period starting at 8 PM. Peak plug load is estimated at 3360 watt per dwelling 

unit. Depending on the size of the unit, this may range from 2.8 to 4.8 w/sf. This 

load also includes cooking loads, refrigerators, and dishwashers, so it should be used 

with care. 

90.1-1989j - Identical to 90.1-1989. 

90.1-1989R - Similar to 90.1-1989, with peak plug loads estimated at 0.45 w/sf. 

Description of Metered Data Profiles: 

No metered data is available for this building type. 

Recommended Profile and Suggested Sensitivity Studies 

The 90.1-1989R profile and associated loads is recommended as being easier to 

implement. 

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Occupancy Assumptions for Commercial Buildings 

Michele Friedrich & Steven Schliesing 

January 30, 1995 

Occupancy is an important internal load component that should be considered when modeling 

the energy performance of commercial buildings. Not only do the occupants of a building 

impose sensible and latent loads on the spaces they occupy, but the HV AC system in the 

building also must operate to supply ventilation air to those occupants. Frequently 

commercial building ventilation systems are designed to shut down during unoccupied periods 

so it is important to know which hours a commercial building is occupied. The effect of 

occupancy in a building is also seen in usage patterns for lighting and office equipment as 

well as service hot water . We developed assumptions for commercial building hours of 

occupancy from two sources of information. The first source was the Energy Information 

Administration's (EIA's) 1992 Commercial Building Consumption Survey (CBECS). This 

was the primary source of information used. The second source was a set of survey data 

taken from buildings monitored in the Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA's) End-Use 

Load and Consumer Assessment Program (ELCAP). 

Table 1 summarizes the recommendations for occupancy hours in various commercial 

buildings. These numbers were derived for each building type by looking at the most 

prevalent response to the question of number of operating hours for each sample building of 

that type surveyed. Responses were weighted by the total floor area of each sample building. 

Once number of operating hours was determined for a given building type, actual occupancy 

starting and stopping times were selected from the most prevalent pair of start! stop times that 

matched the same number of hours open. These start/stop times were also provided by 

survey respondents for each building sampled. 

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Table 1 Commercial Building Hours of Occupation 

Building Type Monday-Friday Saturday Sunday 

Office 8 AM - 6 PM closed closed 

Retail 10 AM - 9 PM 10 AM - 9 PM 12 PM - 6 PM 

Warehouse open 24 hours closed closed 

Education 7 AM - 10 PM closed closed 

Worship 8 AM - 5 PM closed 8 AM - 1 PM 

Assembly * open 24 hours 6 AM - 6 PM 6 AM - 6 PM 

Restaurant llAM-1AM llAM-1AM llAM-1AM 

Lodging open 24 hours open 24 hours open 24 hours 

* " Vaned " was the most prevalent answer for Sat and Sun hours of operatIon. 6 AM - 6 

PM were the most prevalent start/stop times other than 24 hours or 0 hours. 

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