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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 230 (Wednesday, November 30, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74050-74051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30837]

[[Page 74050]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

[Docket Number EERE-2011-BT-NOA-0064]

Measured Building Energy Performance Data Taxonomy

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of request for information (RFI).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks comments and 
information related to a measured building energy performance data 
taxonomy. DOE has created this measured building energy performance 
data taxonomy as part of its DOE Buildings Performance Database 
project. This information is focused on data related to the energy 
performance of buildings and is not intended to be a general taxonomy 
for other building information and applications (i.e., non-energy 
applications such as structural analysis, space planning, et cetera).

DATES: Written comments and information are requested on or before 
December 30, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may submit comments, identified by docket 
number EERE-2011-BT-NOA-0064, by any of the following methods. Your 
response should be in the form of either a word document, or a 
compatible format. Questions relative to responding to this RFI may be 
sent to the same mailbox in advance of your response, and will be 
answered via email.
     Email: to TaxonomyRFI123-0064@ee.doe.gov. Include EERE-
2011-BT-NOA-0064 in the subject line of the message.
     Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, Revisions to Energy 
Efficiency Enforcement Regulations, EERE-2011-BT-NOA-0064, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585- 0121. Phone: (202) 586-
2945. Please submit one signed paper original.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Building Technologies Program, 6th Floor, 950 L'Enfant Plaza 
SW., Washington, DC 20024. Phone: (202) 586-2945. Please submit one 
signed paper original.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct requests for additional 
information may be sent to Cody Taylor, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies 
Program, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 287-5842. Email: TaxonomyRFI123-0064@ee.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks comments and information 
related to a measured building energy performance data taxonomy. DOE 
has created this measured building energy performance data taxonomy as 
part of its DOE Buildings Performance Database project. This 
information is focused on data related to the energy performance of 
buildings and is not intended to be a general taxonomy for other 
building information and applications (i.e., non-energy applications 
such as structural analysis, space planning, et cetera). A copy of the 
information on which DOE seeks comment can be downloaded from this web 
address: http://buildingsperformance.net/taxonomyrfi. Stakeholders 
should download the taxonomy file from the provided Web site, as the 
information is not duplicated in this RFI.

Detailed Description

    The data taxonomy described in this RFI provides guidance on how 
measured building energy performance data and building characteristics 
are defined, organized and classified in the DOE Buildings Performance 
Database. The full taxonomy description can be downloaded at this site: 
http://buildingsperformance.net/taxonomyrfi. Please use this web 
address to access and download the information on which DOE is seeking 
comment.
    The taxonomy was developed with several goals in mind. The taxonomy 
is intended to be general and flexible enough to accommodate a wide set 
of current and anticipated use cases to analyze the measured energy 
performance of both commercial and residential buildings. The taxonomy 
should be general enough to support use cases for multiple stakeholders 
including financiers, utilities, service providers, and policy makers, 
and flexible enough to accommodate use cases that have not yet been 
fully specified. The taxonomy should support a wide range of existing 
data sources while also anticipating future data collection efforts 
that may provide more detailed datasets. The taxonomy focuses on 
measured building energy performance data and related building 
characteristics, and does not include modeled or derived data. Finally, 
it does not include any fields for personally identifiable information 
or the identity of the data source.
    The taxonomy presented was developed after reviewing and 
considering related efforts, such as the Industry Foundation Classes, 
OmniClass systems, ASTM Building Energy Performance Assessment 
checklist, and ASHRAE Audit Procedures Checklist. To date, the taxonomy 
has mapped five data sources, including the Commercial Building Energy 
Consumption Survey, the Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 
University of Dayton, ENERGY STAR, and the General Services 
Administration data. The taxonomy will continue to evolve as new data 
sources are mapped.

Overview of the Taxonomy

    The taxonomy consists of entities and data fields. Each entity is a 
logical grouping of data fields. The entities and their inter-
relationships generally reflect the hierarchical nature of building 
characteristics (site, facility, activity area, building systems). This 
scheme was developed using a ``top-down'' approach, based on a logical 
understanding of building performance information, and is intended to 
be flexible and stable enough to accommodate a broad array of use 
cases. For example, the entity ``Facility'' is used to describe the 
major characteristics of a building and has data fields for gross floor 
area, net floor area, number of stories, etc. There are currently 
sixteen entities within the taxonomy scheme.
    The data field descriptions in the taxonomy contain a list of the 
data fields under each entity, along with the units of measurement and 
a description of each field. The data fields were developed using a 
``bottom-up'' approach, by compiling and editing lists of fields from 
existing data sources and taxonomies. Certain data fields have 
enumerated types that provide a discrete set of named responses 
specific to the data field. An example of an enumerated type would be 
for the data field ``Fuel.'' Responses include Electricity, Renewable 
Electricity, Natural Gas, Fuel Oil, Fuel Oil No. 4, Solar Hot Water, 
Kerosene, and Coal, among several other choices. Note that most 
constrained lists include items at different levels of specificity 
(e.g. Fuel Oil versus Fuel Oil No. 1), in order to accommodate a range 
of data sources and use cases. Therefore, the items in a constrained 
list are not mutually exclusive.
    The data fields have been organized into three priority levels. The

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prioritization is based on the relative importance for analysis use 
cases, as well as relative ease of obtaining data. Priority 3 data 
fields connote unusual fields or those that are unique to a particular 
data source. For example, within the ``Energy Use'' entity, the 
Priority 1 data fields include elements such as Fuel (type), End Use 
Type, and Units. The Priority 2 data fields include elements such as 
Electric Utility, Electric Rate Structure, and Electricity Summer Peak 
Power. The Priority 3 data fields include elements such as Bottled Gas 
Amount, Amount Wood Burned, and Natural Gas Peak Power.

Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment and Information.

    DOE invites comments from respondents on all the specific elements 
discussed above, as well as any additional issues the respondent deems 
important. Specifically, DOE is requesting comment as to (a) The 
overall taxonomy schema i.e. the entities and their relationships; (b) 
definitions of the data fields contained within this taxonomy; (c) new 
data fields needed to accommodate existing or anticipated future data 
sources. The full taxonomy can be accessed at http://buildingsperformance.net/taxonomyrfi.

Disclaimer and Important Notes

    This is an RFI issued solely for information and program planning 
purposes; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for 
proposals or abstracts. Your response to this notice will be treated as 
information only. DOE will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred 
in responding to this RFI. Respondents are advised that DOE is under no 
obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or 
provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information 
submitted under this RFI. Responses to this RFI do not bind DOE to any 
further actions related to this topic.

Confidential Business Information

    According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information he 
or she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public 
disclosure should submit via email, postal mail, or hand delivery/
courier two well-marked copies: One copy of the document marked 
confidential including all the information believed to be confidential, 
and one copy of the document marked non-confidential with the 
information believed to be confidential deleted. Submit these documents 
via email or on a CD, if feasible. DOE will make its own determination 
about the confidential status of the information and treat it according 
to its determination.
    Factors of interest to DOE when evaluating requests to treat 
submitted information as confidential include: (1) A description of the 
items; (2) whether and why such items are customarily treated as 
confidential within the industry; (3) whether the information is 
generally known by or available from other sources; (4) whether the 
information has previously been made available to others without 
obligation concerning its confidentiality; (5) an explanation of the 
competitive injury to the submitting person which would result from 
public disclosure; (6) when such information might lose its 
confidential character due to the passage of time; and (7) why 
disclosure of the information would be contrary to the public interest.
    It is DOE's policy that all comments may be included in the public 
docket, without change and as received, including any personal 
information provided in the comments (except information deemed to be 
exempt from public disclosure).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 22, 2011.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2011-30837 Filed 11-29-11; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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