Release date: February 2015

Revised date: May 2016

All

buildings One 2 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20

More 

than 20

Unoccupied

All buildings 5,557 4,205 862 147 68 27 248

Building floorspace (square feet)

1,001 to 5,000 2,777 2,285 315 Q Q Q 145

5,001 to 10,000 1,229 907 235 34 Q N 50

10,001 to 25,000 884 600 179 54 16 Q 34

25,001 to 50,000 332 208 65 20 23 Q Q

50,001 to 100,000 199 125 35 16 10 6 Q

100,001 to 200,000 90 55 21 4 5 3 Q

200,001 to 500,000 38 21 10 1 2 3 Q

Over 500,000 8 3 2 1 (*) 2 Q

Principal building activity

Education 389 369 19 N N N N

Food sales 177 150 27 Q N N N

Food service 380 346 33 Q N N N

Health care 157 113 39 1 Q Q N

Inpatient 10 8 2 Q Q Q N

Outpatient 147 105 37 Q Q Q N

Lodging 158 146 12 Q Q Q N

Mercantile 602 372 133 58 30 8 N

Retail (other than mall) 438 372 62 Q Q Q N

Enclosed and strip malls 164 N 71 57 29 7 N

Office 1,012 657 275 52 19 8 N

Public assembly 352 300 50 Q Q Q N

Public order and safety 84 70 14 N N N N

Religious worship 412 385 26 N N N N

Service 619 526 82 Q Q N N

Warehouse and storage 796 642 110 22 Q Q N

Other 125 93 28 Q Q Q N

Vacant 296 35 Q Q Q N 248

Year constructed

Before 1920 362 263 57 Q Q Q 33

1920 to 1945 488 395 56 Q Q Q 30

1946 to 1959 599 433 97 Q Q Q 58

1960 to 1969 639 484 100 16 7 Q 30

1970 to 1979 684 500 116 20 11 Q 30

1980 to 1989 915 660 154 38 18 11 33

1990 to 1999 845 668 129 22 9 3 Q

2000 to 2003 375 303 51 10 4 Q Q

2004 to 2007 347 266 53 14 Q Q Q

2008 to 2012 303 232 49 Q Q Q Q

Number of buildings (thousand)

Number of establishments in building

Table B19. Number of establishments in building, number of buildings, 2012
All

buildings One 2 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20

More 

than 20

Unoccupied

All buildings 5,557 4,205 862 147 68 27 248

Number of buildings (thousand)

Number of establishments in building

Table B19. Number of establishments in building, number of buildings, 2012

Census region

Northeast 805 602 150 19 8 3 24

Midwest 1,237 974 192 21 8 2 41

South 2,247 1,690 328 63 27 8 130

West 1,267 939 193 44 25 14 53

Climate region1

Very cold/Cold 2,031 1,540 349 46 19 Q 70

Mixed-humid 1,743 1,368 228 44 19 7 78

Mixed-dry/Hot-dry 837 627 126 Q 11 5 43

Hot-humid 799 567 138 24 11 3 56

Marine 147 102 22 Q Q Q Q

Number of floors

One 3,836 2,997 510 87 39 17 186

Two 1,158 833 224 38 16 2 45

Three 374 259 87 10 Q Q Q

Four to nine 177 112 39 10 6 4 Q

Ten or more 13 4 3 1 2 3 Q

Elevators and escalators 

(more than one may apply)

Any elevators 405 248 104 21 15 9 8

Number of elevators

One 272 175 71 12 Q Q Q

Two to five 118 67 28 9 6 5 Q

Six or more 16 7 4 1 2 2 Q

Any escalators 10 4 Q Q (*) 1 Q

Number of workers (main shift)

Fewer than 5 2,892 2,325 278 Q Q Q 248

5 to 9 1,085 846 215 21 Q Q N

10 to 19 731 526 171 29 Q N N

20 to 49 513 312 123 50 26 Q N

50 to 99 206 127 42 16 16 5 N

100 to 249 93 51 25 4 7 7 N

250 or more 37 17 8 4 3 5 N

Weekly operating hours

Fewer than 40 1,149 829 68 Q N N 248

40 to 48 1,346 1,033 278 24 Q Q N

49 to 60 1,244 940 230 47 21 5 N

61 to 84 764 534 147 40 30 14 N

85 to 167 479 392 68 11 Q Q N

Open continuously 575 476 71 21 4 Q N
All

buildings One 2 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20

More 

than 20

Unoccupied

All buildings 5,557 4,205 862 147 68 27 248

Number of buildings (thousand)

Number of establishments in building

Table B19. Number of establishments in building, number of buildings, 2012

Ownership and occupancy

Nongovernment owned 4,781 3,537 782 147 67 27 221

Owner occupied 2,466 2,318 142 Q Q N N

Leased to tenant(s) 1,745 1,220 351 103 52 20 N

Owner occupied and leased 349 N 289 40 12 7 N

Unoccupied 221 N N N N N 221

Government owned 776 668 80 Q Q Q 27

Federal 33 27 6 Q Q Q N

State 185 164 17 Q Q N Q

Local 558 477 58 Q Q Q 22

Party responsible for operation

and maintenance of energy

systems

Building owner 4,715 3,654 670 99 42 21 229

Business owner or tenant 724 466 173 39 24 5 Q

Property management 54 37 Q Q Q Q Q

Other 64 48 Q Q Q Q Q

Provider of direct input on energyrelated equipment purchases

Building owner 4,876 3,733 716 119 50 24 235

Business owner or tenant 540 370 119 21 16 2 Q

Property management 35 26 Q Q Q Q N

Other 106 76 23 Q Q Q Q

Campus or complex activity

Not part of a campus or complex 3,683 2,753 605 86 36 10 192

Primary or secondary school 237 228 Q N Q N Q

College or university 84 76 6 Q N Q Q

Office complex 154 75 56 13 5 1 Q

Retail complex 258 157 55 25 13 4 Q

Storage complex 314 255 20 Q Q Q Q

Religious campus or complex 197 184 Q N N N Q

Health care complex 52 33 16 Q Q Q Q

Lodging or resort complex 65 59 Q Q Q Q Q

Transportation complex 35 22 Q Q Q Q N

Government complex 104 87 15 Q N Q Q

Other 371 276 61 10 Q Q Q

Energy sources

(more than one may apply)

Electricity 5,234 4,079 862 136 66 19 72

Natural gas 2,933 2,244 514 91 47 11 26

Fuel oil 467 356 89 7 4 5 Q

District heat 48 36 8 Q Q 1 Q

District chilled water 54 46 5 Q Q Q Q

Propane 510 430 75 Q Q Q Q

Other 172 137 29 Q Q Q Q
All

buildings One 2 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20

More 

than 20

Unoccupied

All buildings 5,557 4,205 862 147 68 27 248

Number of buildings (thousand)

Number of establishments in building

Table B19. Number of establishments in building, number of buildings, 2012

Energy end uses

(more than one may apply)

Buildings with space heating 4,722 3,646 816 132 60 18 51

Buildings with cooling 4,461 3,414 807 134 60 18 28

Buildings with water heating 4,423 3,391 794 130 62 19 27

Buildings with cooking 1,589 1,262 232 46 31 11 Q

Buildings with manufacturing 259 187 48 Q Q Q N

Buildings with electricity

generation 410 303 84 10 7 5 Q

Percent of floorspace heated

Not heated 835 559 47 Q Q Q 197

1 to 50 697 524 135 18 Q Q Q

51 to 99 727 528 129 43 14 8 Q

100 3,298 2,594 551 71 37 8 37

Percent of floorspace cooled

Not cooled 1,096 791 55 Q Q Q 220

1 to 50 1,173 888 246 24 Q Q Q

51 to 99 897 655 151 51 25 9 Q

100 2,391 1,870 410 59 26 7 Q

Percent lit when open

Zero 70 56 Q Q Q N N

1 to 50 1,099 870 206 16 Q Q N

51 to 99 1,666 1,200 323 88 43 12 N

100 2,222 1,854 321 30 11 6 N

Building never open/electricity

not used 501 226 Q Q Q Q 248

Percent lit during off hours

Zero 2,489 2,056 349 22 Q Q 49

1 to 50 2,441 1,782 463 104 53 15 22

51 to 100 202 161 32 6 Q 1 N

Building always open with 

no "off hours" 102 80 19 Q Q Q N

Electricity not used 323 126 N Q Q Q 176

Heating equipment 

(more than one may apply)

Heat pumps 628 474 101 35 11 3 Q

Furnaces 755 560 142 29 9 Q Q

Individual space heaters 1,247 954 235 31 15 3 Q

District heat 48 36 8 Q Q 1 Q

Boilers 544 408 98 19 10 5 Q

Packaged heating units 2,802 2,101 514 100 49 13 25

Other 62 43 Q Q Q Q Q
All

buildings One 2 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20

More 

than 20

Unoccupied

All buildings 5,557 4,205 862 147 68 27 248

Number of buildings (thousand)

Number of establishments in building

Table B19. Number of establishments in building, number of buildings, 2012

Cooling equipment 

(more than one may apply)

Residential-type central air

conditioners 1,546 1,189 272 55 17 5 Q

Heat pumps 692 519 115 36 14 3 Q

Individual air conditioners 709 544 140 12 6 2 Q

District chilled water 54 46 5 Q Q Q Q

Central chillers 163 112 33 7 5 4 Q

Packaged air conditioning units 1,909 1,376 388 81 44 11 Q

Swamp coolers 109 91 14 Q Q Q N

Other Q Q Q N Q Q N

Main equipment replaced since 

1990 (more than one may apply)

Heating 1,874 1,441 315 70 23 9 Q

Cooling 1,971 1,500 347 75 28 9 Q

Water-heating equipment

Centralized system 3,348 2,694 540 65 24 5 21

Distributed system 690 479 167 27 11 5 Q

Combination of centralized and

distributed system 385 219 87 38 27 9 Q

Lighting equipment types

(more than one may apply)

Incandescent 1,826 1,326 365 77 41 11 Q

Standard fluorescent 4,649 3,603 816 131 60 18 22

Compact fluorescent 2,302 1,716 414 102 49 17 Q

High-intensity discharge (HID) 525 357 102 35 22 7 Q

Halogen 905 626 185 51 30 13 Q

LED 473 293 96 44 29 11 Q

Other 10 Q Q Q Q Q N

Refrigeration equipment

(more than one may apply)

Any refrigeration 3,984 3,083 712 103 54 15 Q

Walk-in units 811 600 129 41 29 10 Q

Cases or cabinets 915 687 140 44 32 9 Q

Large cold storage areas 78 55 12 Q 4 2 N

Commercial ice makers 846 635 131 39 26 10 Q

Residential-type or compact units 3,388 2,585 628 97 52 14 Q

Vending machines 960 679 186 46 33 13 Q

No refrigeration 1,573 1,122 150 44 Q Q 232
All

buildings One 2 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20

More 

than 20

Unoccupied

All buildings 5,557 4,205 862 147 68 27 248

Number of buildings (thousand)

Number of establishments in building

Table B19. Number of establishments in building, number of buildings, 2012

Office equipment

(more than one may apply)

Desktop computers 3,977 2,981 780 133 62 19 Q

With flat screen monitors 3,847 2,870 761 133 62 19 Q

With multiple monitors 911 557 233 71 38 11 N

Laptop computers 2,730 1,913 611 125 61 18 Q

Dedicated servers 1,748 1,189 401 96 45 15 Q

Laser printers 2,339 1,657 523 97 48 15 Q

Inkjet printers 2,187 1,684 395 73 27 8 Q

FAX machines 3,185 2,315 671 123 55 18 Q

Photocopiers 2,163 1,550 458 88 49 15 Q

Number of desktop computers

None 1,581 1,224 83 Q Q Q 245

1 to 4 2,039 1,703 314 Q Q Q Q

5 to 9 821 590 193 34 Q Q N

10 to 19 482 287 137 41 18 Q N

20 to 49 355 214 85 29 19 7 Q

50 to 99 143 95 28 9 9 2 N

100 to 249 92 65 16 4 3 4 N

250 or more 44 28 6 4 2 4 N

Number of laptop computers

None 2,827 2,292 251 22 Q Q 246

1 to 4 1,944 1,446 445 41 Q Q Q

5 to 9 350 193 88 52 16 Q N

10 to 19 181 94 38 18 25 6 N

20 to 49 144 96 27 9 7 5 N

50 to 99 58 45 6 Q 2 3 N

100 to 249 35 26 4 Q 1 2 N

250 or more 20 14 3 1 1 1 N

Number of dedicated servers

None 3,809 3,016 461 50 23 Q 248

1 to 4 1,562 1,102 346 79 30 4 Q

5 to 9 97 41 30 13 9 4 N

10 to 19 50 23 15 3 4 5 N

20 to 49 25 16 6 Q 1 2 N

50 or more 13 7 4 Q Q 1 N

Number of photocopiers

None 3,394 2,655 405 58 19 Q 245

One 1,325 1,040 241 31 10 Q Q

2 to 4 648 417 177 30 21 3 N

5 to 9 116 58 24 18 10 5 N

10 or more 75 36 16 9 8 6 N
All

buildings One 2 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20

More 

than 20

Unoccupied

All buildings 5,557 4,205 862 147 68 27 248

Number of buildings (thousand)

Number of establishments in building

Table B19. Number of establishments in building, number of buildings, 2012

Number of TVs or video displays

None 2,718 2,047 354 46 Q Q 246

One 1,145 955 171 Q Q Q Q

2 to 4 1,035 745 229 44 13 Q Q

5 to 9 314 217 62 27 7 Q N

10 to 19 154 98 25 10 18 3 N

20 to 49 106 72 12 6 10 7 N

50 to 99 48 40 5 Q Q 2 N

100 or more 37 31 4 (*) (*) 1 N

Food preparation or serving areas 

in non-food service buildings

(more than one may apply)

Snack bar or concession stand 153 101 31 10 7 4 N

Fast food or small restaurant 173 52 55 33 26 8 N

Cafeteria or large restaurant 130 95 18 9 5 2 N

Commercial kitchen/

food preparation area 282 214 42 10 9 5 Q

Small kitchen area 736 605 98 13 11 3 Q

Separate computer areas

(more than one may apply)

Data center or server farm 97 60 29 4 2 2 N

Computer-based training room 244 164 56 11 9 4 N

Student or public computer center 238 183 32 12 9 3 N

HVAC conservation features 

(more than one may apply)

Economizer cycle 601 427 119 29 16 7 Q

Regular HVAC maintenance 3,178 2,413 554 107 57 18 29

Building automation system (BAS)2 781 579 128 33 26 11 Q

Window and interior lighting 

features (more than one may

apply)

Multipaned windows 3,012 2,240 520 105 46 15 86

Tinted window glass 1,875 1,318 352 92 50 15 49

Reflective window glass 549 380 97 41 20 7 Q

External overhangs or awnings 1,867 1,349 345 87 37 10 40

Skylights or atriums 591 394 121 33 25 6 Q

Light scheduling 918 617 177 70 38 13 Q

Occupancy sensors 813 551 160 55 33 14 Q

Multi-level lighting or dimming 349 220 63 34 23 9 Q

Daylight harvesting 125 85 19 7 9 2 Q

Demand responsive lighting 176 108 33 21 11 3 N

Building automation system (BAS) 

for lighting2 208 121 40 21 18 8 Q
All

buildings One 2 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20

More 

than 20

Unoccupied

All buildings 5,557 4,205 862 147 68 27 248

Number of buildings (thousand)

Number of establishments in building

Table B19. Number of establishments in building, number of buildings, 2012

Equipment usage reduced when 

building not in full use 

(more than one may apply)

Heating 3,699 2,802 671 121 54 15 36

Cooling 3,517 2,645 661 123 55 16 16

Lighting 4,757 3,729 820 130 59 18 N

 1These climate regions were created by the Building America program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy (EERE). 

 2

In earlier CBECS publications, BAS was referred to as Energy Management and Control System (EMCS) .

 Q = Data withheld either because the Relative Standard Error (RSE) was greater than 50 percent or fewer than 20 buildings were sampled.

 N = No cases in reporting sample.

 (*) = Value rounds to zero in the units displayed.

 Notes: ● Because of rounding, data may not sum to totals. ● See Guide to the 2012 CBECS Detailed Tables or CBECS Terminology for definition 

of terms used in these tables and/or comparison of differences with prior CBECS tables. Both references can be accessed from 

http://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/data/2012/

 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Consumption and Efficiency Statistics, Form EIA-871A of the 2012 Commercial 

Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.