U.S. Energy Information Administration Independent Statistics & Analysis www.eia.gov

2018 CBECS Overview and 

Outline of Draft Questionnaire

May 2018
CBECS provides unique information about U.S. commercial 

buildings

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 2

• The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is the 

only independent, statistically representative source of national-level 

data on the characteristics and energy use of commercial buildings

• Mandated by Congress in 1977, a CBECS has been conducted every 

three to five years since 1979

• The 2012 CBECS final sample was 6,720 buildings, one of the largest 

sample sizes ever

• The 2018 CBECS sample size is planned to be comparable to 2012
What is a 

commercial 

building?

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 3

• Commercial 

– More than 50% of floorspace is devoted to activities that are neither residential, nor industrial, 

nor agricultural

• Building 

– A structure intended for human access that is totally enclosed by walls that extend from the 

foundation to the roof

• The survey covers all commercial buildings larger than 1,000 square feet, 

with a few specific exclusions
CBECS uses a two-phase interviewing process

4

• Phase I: Buildings Survey

– In-person or telephone interview conducted by a trained interviewer

– Computer-assisted survey instrument (since 1995)

– Voluntary

– 2012 field period was ~8 months long

– Interviews averaged ~40 minutes 

• Building size, age, 

and structural characteristics

• Building activity 

• Ownership and occupancy 

• Weekly operating hours

• Employees (main shift) 

• Energy sources and their end uses

• Heating and cooling equipment

• Other energy-related equipment 

• Specialized uses of space and equipment

• If available, annual energy use and cost data 

for the reference year (electricity, natural gas, 

fuel oil, and/or district heat)
CBECS uses a two-phase interviewing process, cont.

5

• Phase II: Energy Suppliers Survey (ESS)

– Follow-up data collection with energy suppliers (electricity, 

natural gas, fuel oil, district heat) to collect monthly energy 

data 

– Historically a mail survey; 2012 CBECS was mainly internet 

data collection

– Mandatory

– 2012 field period was ~8 months
Ultimate goal is to publish information on the U.S. commercial 

buildings stock and its energy use

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1979 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1999 2003 2012

Year of survey

Total consumption

Number of commercial buildings

Total floorspace Percent change 

since 2003

Number of buildings 

+14%

Floorspace 

+22%

Consumption 

+7%

quadrillion Btu

million buildings billion square feet
2. Select 

segments

1. Select Primary 

Sampling Units 

(PSUs) - counties or 

groups of counties

Main St

Diagonal Ave 3. Select 

buildings

EIA builds the CBECS frame because 

there is no existing comprehensive list 

of buildings

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 7

• Area frame 

– Randomly select small, geographic areas

– Within these areas, list and stratify all 

commercial buildings

– Randomly select buildings within strata

• List frames

– Supplemental lists ensure adequate 

representation of special buildings (e.g., 

hospitals, government buildings, 

college/universities, airports, or other large 

buildings) 
What’s new for the 2018 CBECS?

• Virtual listing: Area frame created using satellite imagery and GIS tools will 

replace traditional on-the-ground listing in many areas

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 8

Joe Lister 

Joe Lister 
What’s new for the 2018 CBECS? (cont.)

• Modernization of survey processes

– Listing, screening, case management, etc. are being transitioned to applications on 

iPhones and tablets

• Option for web completion (self-administered) of the building questionnaire 

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 9

Mode 1979 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1999 2003 2007 2012 2018

Paper and

pencil (PAPI) X X X X X

Telephone 

(CATI) X X X

In-person 

(CAPI) X X X X X

Web X

Evolution of survey modes across CBECS survey years
Planned timeline for the 2018 CBECS

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 10

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

survey

actions

data

processing

data 

releases

survey prep, including 

frame development

buildings 

data 

collection

data processing

supplier 

data

end use 

modeling

characteristics: summary tables and detailed data 

consumption and expenditures: summary tables and detailed data

reference year
Proposed questionnaire updates

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 11
As you review the questionnaire, keep in mind...

12

Operations/ 

engineering/ 

energy mgmt

37%

Property mgmt

15%

Administration/ 

company mgmt

11% Business 

owner

9%

Building owner

7%

Executive/school/ 

religious official

7%

Store/mall mgmt

6%

Support 

staff/other

4%

Accounting/

finances

4%

• CBECS respondents vary in their 

areas of expertise

• CBECS is administered to a 

respondent by trained interviewers; 

it is not an energy audit performed 

by an energy professional

• Therefore, writing CBECS 

questions requires a delicate 

balance: the questions need to be 

able to capture accurate, specific 

information without being overly 

complex or technical

2012 CBECS Respondent Roles
Building size, structural characteristics, and age

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 13

Keeping

(Question 

was in the 

2012 

CBECS and 

will be 

retained for 

the 2018 

CBECS)

- Square footage

- Wall/roof construction materials

- Cool roof

- Roof pitch

- Building shape

- Percentage of exterior that is glass

- Number of floors, underground floors

- Floor-to-ceiling height

- Presence of an attic

- Elevators, escalators

- Year of construction

- Major recent renovations (updated reference year from 1990 to 

2000: Has any portion of this building undergone renovations since 

2000?) and what type(s) 
Building size, structural characteristics, and age (cont.)

• 2012 cool roof question: 

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 14

Is the roof of this building designed to reduce solar heat gain, also known as a "cool roof"?

  EXP: [Roofs with a highly reflective surface, a ballasted

 roof system, a vegetated roof system, or any combination of these

 technologies should be considered a “cool roof”.]

 1 Yes

 2 No

Updated

• Proposed new 2018 cool roof question:
Building size, structural characteristics, and age (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 15

Removing 

(Question 

was in the 

2012 

CBECS but 

will not be in 

the 2018 

CBECS)

Question Reason

Whether the square footage figures 

included any parking or common areas

Other editing of square 

footage added more

value than these 

responses

Whether the glass is equal on all sides of 

the building and, if not, whether the sides 

receiving direct sunlight have more or less 

glass than the other sides

Data quality concern
Building activity

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 16

Keeping - Principal building activity

- Building activity subcategories (100+)

- Special measures of size (classroom seats, hospital beds, guest 

rooms, etc.)

- If part of a multibuilding campus/complex—campus activity, 

presence of central plant, central plant outputs, and whether the 

central plant is in the building

Adding 

(New 

question for 

the 2018

CBECS)

Number of buildings on the campus/complex
Building activity (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 17

Removing Question Reason

Presence and location of open-plan office 

space

No indication of public

use. Not published in 

tables or used in EIA 

models. 

Type of retail store Sample sizes too small 

to publish results
Building ownership/occupancy, operating hours, employment

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 18

Keeping - Building ownership

- Number of businesses 

- Owner occupied

- Owner operator

- Purchasing power

- Number of months the building is in use

- Percentage occupied (for office buildings, enclosed malls, 

outpatient health care, hotels, motels/inns, and retirement homes)

- Open 24 hours a day, open on weekdays, and/or open on 

weekends

- Weekly operating hours

- Number of employees (main shift)

Adding Number of tenants that lease space in the building
Building ownership/occupancy, operating hours, employment 

(cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 19

Removing Question Reason

Annual number of events of public

assembly buildings, annual meals served 

for restaurants

Few respondents were 

able to answer

Seasonal use and high season questions Data quality concern

Whether fire station personnel are career 

or volunteer

No indication of public 

use. Not published in 

tables or used in EIA 

models.
Energy sources, uses, and equipment

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 20

Keeping - Energy used for: heating, cooling, water heating, cooking, 

manufacturing, or electricity generation

- Energy sources used: electricity, natural gas, fuel oil/diesel/kerosene, 

propane/bottled gas/LPG, district steam, district hot water, district 

chilled water, wood, coal, solar, other

- Percentage heated and cooled

- Building automation system (BAS)

- Heating/cooling reduced during off hours and, if so, whether by 

programmable thermostat, manual thermostat, or shut down

- Economizer cycle, regular HVAC maintenance

- Energy sources for water heating, cooking, manufacturing

- Water heating equipment, booster water heaters 

- Electricity generation technologies

- Amounts of propane and wood used (categorical)
Energy sources, uses, and equipment (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 21

Adding - If solar is an energy source, whether it is solar panels or solar thermal 

energy

- Space heating and cooling sources by equipment types (next slides)

- Which system the BAS controls (heating, cooling, lighting) 

- Airflow control: whether the building has a variable air volume (VAV) 

system, a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS), or demand controlled 

ventilation (DCV)

- “Smart” or internet-connected thermostat

- Energy sources used for each generation technology (other than solar 

panels or wind turbines)

- Whether any electric vehicle charging stations are associated with the 

building, either inside or outside

- Whether clothes dryers use natural gas (for dry cleaners/laundromats)
Energy sources, uses, and equipment (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 22

Adding Space heating equipment type by energy source

EL NG FO PR ST HW WO CO OT

Furnace............................ X X X X X X X

Packaged unit .................. X X X X

Boiler ............................... X X X X X X

Heat pump....................... X X X

Individual space heater ... X X X X X X

Fireplace .......................... X X X

Other [specify]................. X X X X X X X

Distribution for district 

steam/hot water/boiler:

Central air handlers......... X X

Fan coil units.................... X X

Duct reheat coils.............. X X X

Radiator........................... X X

Other................................ X X

• Follow-ups for boiler heat distribution, heat pump heating type, percentage 

heated by each equipment/source combination, main equipment
Energy sources, uses, and equipment (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 23

Adding Cooling equipment type by energy source

• Follow-ups for chiller distribution, heat pump type, type of chiller, percentage 

cooled by each equipment/source combination, main equipment

EL NG FO PR ST CW OT

Residential-type central A/C .................... X

Packaged A/C unit.................................... X

Central chiller........................................... X X X X X

Heat pump for cooling ............................. X

Individual room A/C ................................. X

Swamp cooler........................................... X

Other [specify].......................................... X X X X X X

Distribution for district

chilled water/chiller:

Fan coil units ............................................ X

Central air handlers.................................. X

Chilled beam............................................. X

Other ........................................................ X
Energy sources, uses, and equipment (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 24

Removing Question Reason

Type of furnace Data 

quality

concerns Type of packaged heating/cooling, packaged heating components

Heat pump heating/cooling system type

Type of individual heater

Heater chiller

Heating/cooling ventilation equipment

Type of economizer cycle

Instant hot water

How electricity/natural gas are purchased (local utility, independent power 

producer, non-local utility, broker)

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)
Miscellaneous equipment

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 25

Keeping - Commercial food preparation space types and square footage follow-up 

for some

- Activities requiring large amounts of hot water

- Linens laundered onsite

- Space in hotels/motels for conferences or social events and estimate of 

floorspace percentage

- Medical equipment (and numbers of X-ray, CT scan, MRI, linear 

accelerators)

- Percentage used for outpatient care (for inpatient health buildings)

- Operating rooms for outpatient surgery (for outpatient health bldgs)

- Laboratory equipment, machine equipment, sterilizers/autoclaves

- Indoor heated pool, indoor ice rink

- Refrigeration and/or freezer types

- Refrigeration waste heat recovery system
Miscellaneous equipment (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 26

Keeping - Computers, laptops, servers, multiple monitors, printers

- Separate computer areas (and square footage of data centers, trading 

floors)

- Interactive whiteboards, TV or video displays, cash registers, 

photocopiers 

- Percentage lit during usual business hours and during off hours

- Lighting types(s) and percentage lit by each

- Percentage exterior lighted

- Lighted parking area, number of parking spaces

- Window glass type

- Daylighting features

- Percentage of building that receives enough outside light so the lights 

do not need to be turned on
Miscellaneous equipment (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 27

Updated

Question kept from 2012 CBECS:

If Yes, the following question is proposed for the 2018 CBECS:
Miscellaneous equipment (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 28

Updated

• Revisions to data center questions

– Quantifying the number of servers: the 2018 CBECS will give respondents the choice to 

provide either the number of servers or the number of server racks

– Separate computer area question now includes a category for server closets, to 

differentiate between server closets and data centers

– New question for buildings that report having a data center, to help identify false positives: 
Miscellaneous equipment (cont.)

Questions on computing and office equipment have been 

revised. The draft questionnaire collects the presence and 

number of:

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 29

• Computing 

equipment

– Desktop computers

– Laptop computers

– Tablets (if charged 

in building)

– Servers

• Other equipment

– Large floor-standing office devices (any combination 

of printer/copier/scanner/FAX machine)

– Smaller desktop office devices (any combination of 

printer/copier/scanner/FAX machine)

– Interactive whiteboards

– Televisions or video displays

– Point-of-sales devices or cash registers

Updated
Miscellaneous equipment (cont.)

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 

2018 30

Removing Question Reason

Space in fire stations for non-fire station 

activities, living quarters in fire stations

No indication of public 

use. Not published in 

tables or used in EIA 

models.

Flat-screen monitors (presence and 

prevalence)

Have become ubiquitous

Square footage of trading floors Not publishable due to 

confidentiality concerns

Standalone FAX machines Have become rare
Energy consumption and expenditures

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 31

Keeping - Electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, district steam and district hot water

- Annual usage from building respondents

- Annual/monthly usage from energy suppliers
Water consumption and green building certification

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 

2018 32

Removing Question Reason

Total water consumed and all related 

questions

Low response, low 

quality data, no 

mandate to pursue 

from water suppliers, 

no funding source for 

additional data 

collection

Green building certification Low validity of 

responses from 

building respondents

• Green building certification information can be added using record 

matching.
Tenant billing and metering

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 

2018 33

• Questions added to scope the ability to collect data for a future tenant data 

collection, as set forth by the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015

• Electricity and natural gas billing arrangements and metering

– Included in tenants’ rent; tenants separately billed; or combination of these arrangements

– Are there meters dedicated to tracking some or all of the electricity/natural gas used within 

individual tenant spaces? (These meters may be installed by the utility, the building’s 

management, or someone else.)

– If electricity metering is reported, for which uses? Lighting; Plug load; Heating; Water heating; 

Cooling; Data center; Other

• Access to the metered electricity/natural gas data

– Who has access? Tenant; Landlord; Someone else
How to provide feedback

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 34
How to provide feedback

2018 CBECS Overview & Outline of Draft Questionnaire, May 2018 35

• Email your suggestions to the Survey Manager:

Joelle.Michaels@eia.gov

• Respond to the Federal Register Notice (FRN). A link to the draft 

questionnaires and the FRN can be found here:

https://www.eia.gov/survey/#eia-871