APPENDIX 7-A. BUILDING VARIABLES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

7-A.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................7-A-1

7-A.1.1 CBECS Sample Determination..............................................................................7-A-1

7-A.2 CBECS 2003 DATABASE VARIABLE RESPONSE CODES ...........................7-A-2

7-A.3 RECS SAMPLE DETERMINATION...................................................................7-A-6

7-A.4 RECS 2009 DATABASE VARIABLE RESPONSE CODES..............................7-A-7

LIST OF TABLES

Table 7-A.1.1 List of CBECS 2003 Variables Used for the Development of the 

Commercial Packaged Boiler Sample .................................................7-A-1

Table 7-A.2.1 CBECS 2003 Variable Response Codes..............................................7-A-2

Table 7-A.3.1 List of RECS 2009 Variables Used for the Development of the 

Commercial Packaged Boiler Sample .................................................7-A-6

Table 7-A.4.1 Definitions of RECS 2009 Variables Used in Life-Cycle Cost 

Analysis................................................................................................7-A-7

7-A-i
APPENDIX 7-A. BUILDING VARIABLES

7-A.1 INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has created a database, using Microsoft ACCESS,

which contains a subset of the records and variables from the Energy Information Administration 

(EIA) Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) and Residential Energy 

Consumption Survey (RECS) ‒ CBECS 2003 and RECS 2009.

1,2 DOE uses the subsets in the 

life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis of the commercial packaged boiler rulemaking. This appendix 

explains the variable name abbreviations and provides definitions for the variable values. 

For the entire CBECS 2003 dataset, refer to 

www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/data/2003/index.cfm?view=microdata.

For the entire RECS 2009 dataset, refer to

http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2009/index.cfm?view=microdata

7-A.1.1 CBECS Sample Determination

Table 7-A.5.1 presents the main CBECS 2003 variables used in the development of the 

commercial packaged boiler data sample.

Table 7-A.1.1 List of CBECS 2003 Variables Used for the Development of the 

Commercial Packaged Boiler Sample

Variable Description

Location Variables

CENDIV8 Census division

HDD658 Heating degree days (base 65)

CDD658 Cooling degree days (base 65)

REGION8 Census region

Building Characteristics Variables

PUBID8 Building identifier

ADJWT8 Final full sample building weight

YRCON8 Year of construction category

SQFT8 Square footage category

PBA8 Principal building activity

OWNER8 Owner

MAINHT8 Main heating equipment

HEATP8 Percent heated

BOILP8 Percent heated by boilers

BOILER8 Boilers inside the building

StationID* ID number of weather station identified with 

household (See Appendix 7-D)

ASHRAE Climate Region* Representative climate based on heating and 

cooling degree days.

PRHT1 Propane used for main heating

7-A-1
PRHT2 Propane used for secondary heating

NGHT18 Natural gas used for main heating

NGHT28 Natural gas used for secondary heating

ELHT18 Electricity used for main heating

ELHT28 Electricity used for secondary heating

FKHT18 Fuel oil used for main heating

FKHT28 Fuel oil used for secondary heating

NWMNHT8 Main heating replaced since 1990

ELWATR8 Electricity used for water heating

NGWATR8 Natural gas used for water heating

FKWATR8 Fuel oil used for water heating

NGHTBTU8 Natural Gas heating use (mBtu)

FKHTBTU8 Fuel Oil heating use (mBtu)

ELHTBTU8 Electric heating use (mBtu)

NGWTBTU8 Natural Gas water heating use (mBtu)

FKWTBTU8 Fuel Oil water heating use (mBtu)

ELWTBTU8 Electric water heating use (mBtu)

* The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Climate Region is 

not part of CBECS 2003 variables.

7-A.2 CBECS 2003 DATABASE VARIABLE RESPONSE CODES

Table 7-A.5.1 provides the response codes for all CBECS 2003 variables used in the 

commercial packaged boiler data sample.

Table 7-A.2.1 CBECS 2003 Variable Response Codes

Variable Response Codes

PUBID8 Unique identifier for each respondent

ADJWT8 Final sample weight

REGION8 01

02

03

04

Northeast

Midwest

South

West

CENDIV8 01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

New England

Middle Atlantic

East North Central 

West North Central

South Atlantic

East South Central

West South Central

Mountain

Pacific

YRCON8 1

2

3

4

5

6

Before 1920

1920 to 1945

1946 to 1959

1960 to 1969

1970 to 1979

1980 to 1989

7-A-2
7

8

9

1990 to 1999

2000 to 2003

2004

SQFT8 0-9999999996

9999999997

9999999998

9999999999

0,000,000,009

Not ascertained

Refused

Don't know

HDD658 Heating degree days in 2003, base temperature 65F

CDD658 Cooling degree days in 2003, base temperature 65F

PBA8 01

02

04

05

06

07

08

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

23

24

25

26

91

Vacant 

Office

Laboratory

Nonrefrigerated warehouse 

Food sales

Public order and safety 

Outpatient health care 

Refrigerated warehouse 

Religious worship 

Public assembly 

Education

Food service

Inpatient health care 

Nursing 

Lodging

Strip shopping mall

Enclosed mall

Retail other than mall

Service 

Other

OWNER8 01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

Property management company 

Other corporation/partnership/LLC 

Religious organization

Other non-profit organization 

Privately-owned school

Individual owner

Other nongovernment owner 

Federal government

State government

Local government

MAINHT8 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Furnaces that heat air directly

Boilers inside the building

Packaged heating units

Individual space heaters 

Heat pumps for heating

District steam or hot water

Other heating equipment

HEATP8 0-996

997

998

009 

Not ascertained 

Refused 

7-A-3
999 Don't know

BOILP8 0-996

997

998

999

009 

Not ascertained 

Refused 

Don't know

BOILER8 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

StationID* Three character identifier for weather station

ASHRAE Climate 

Region*

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Miami, Florida

Houston, Texas

Phoenix, Arizona

Atlanta, Georgia

Los Angeles, California

Las Vegas, Nevada

San Francisco, California

Baltimore, Maryland

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Seattle, Washington

Chicago, Illinois

Denver, Colorado

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Helena, Montana

Duluth, Minnesota

Fairbanks, Alaska

NGHT18 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

NGHT28 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

PRHT18 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

PRHT28 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

ELHT18 1

2

Yes

No

7-A-4
7

8

9

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

ELHT28 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

FKHT18 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

FKHT28 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

NWMNHT8 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

ELWATR8 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

NGWATR8 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

FKWATR8 1

2

7

8

9

Yes

No

Not Ascertained

Refused

Don't Know

NGHTBTU8 Thousand BTU

FKHTBTU8 Thousand BTU

ELHTBTU8 Thousand BTU

NGWTBTU8 Thousand BTU

FKWTBTU8 Thousand BTU

ELWTBTU8 Thousand BTU

* Not part of CBECS 2003 variables.

7-A-5
7-A.3 RECS SAMPLE DETERMINATION

Table 7-A.3.1 presents the main RECS 2009 variables used in the development of the 

commercial packaged boiler data sample.

Table 7-A.3.1 List of RECS 2009 Variables Used for the Development of the 

Commercial Packaged Boiler Sample

Variable Description

Location Variables

REGIONC Census Region

DIVISION Census Division

REPORTABLE_DOMAIN Reportable states and groups of states

HDD65 Heating degree days in 2009, base temperature 65F

CDD65 Heating degree days in 2009, base temperature 65F

Household Characteristics Variables

NWEIGHT Final sample weight

DOEID Unique identifier for each respondent

TYPEHUQ Type of housing unit

YEARMADE Year housing unit was built

BTUNGSPH Natural Gas usage for space heating, in thousand BTU, 2009

BTULPSPH LPG/Propane usage for space heating, in thousand BTU, 2009

BTUFOSPH Fuel Oil usage for space heating, in thousand BTU, 2009

BTUELSPH Electricity usage for space heating, in thousand BTU, 2009

BTUNGWTH Natural Gas usage for water heating, in thousand BTU, 2009

BTULPWTH LPG/Propane usage for water heating, in thousand BTU, 2009

BTUFOWTH Fuel Oil usage for water heating, in thousand BTU, 2009

BTUELWTH Electricity usage for water heating, in thousand BTU, 2009

EQUIPM Type of main space heating equipment used

FUELHEAT Main space heating fuel

HEATOTH Main space heating equipment heats other homes, business, or 

farm

MAINTHT Routine service or maintenance performed on main space heating 

equipment

EQUIPAGE Age of main space heating equipment

RADFUEL Fuel used by hot water system for secondary space heating

EQMAMT Portion of space heating provided by main space heating 

equipment (for homes with main and secondary heating only)

COOLTYPE Type of air conditioning equipment used

CENACHP Central air conditioner is a heat pump

NUMH2ONOTNK Number of tankless water heaters

NUMH2OHTRS Number of storage water heaters

H2OTYPE1 Type of main water heater

FUELH2O Fuel used by main water heater

WHEATOTH Main water heater is used by more than one housing unit

WHEATSIZ Main water heater size (if storage tank)

WHEATAGE Main water heater age

7-A-6
Variable Description

NHSLDMEM Number of household members

Seniors* Number of household members age 65 or older

POVERTY100 Household income at or below 100% of poverty line

StationID* ID number of weather station identified with household (See 

Appendix 7-D)

STORIES Number of stories in a single-family home

ASHRAE Climate Region Representative climate region based on heating and cooling 

degree days.

MONEYPY 2009 gross household income

NUMAPTS Number of apartment units in a 5+ unit apartment building

NAPTFLRS Number of floors in an apartment (Number of levels in housing 

unit that is an apartment)

HIGHCEIL High ceilings 

CATHCEIL Cathedral ceilings

WALLTYPE Major outside wall material

TOTSQFT Total square footage (includes all attached garages, all basements, 

and finished/heated/cooled attics)

TOTSQFT_EN

Total square footage (includes heated/cooled garages, all 

basements, and finished/heated/cooled attics). Used for EIA data 

tables.

TOTHSQFT Total heated square footage

EL_PRICE_FACTOR* Electricity energy price factor

NG_PRICE_FACTOR* Natural gas energy price factor

LP_PRICE_FACTOR* Liquid petroleum energy price factor

FO_PRICE_FACTOR* Fuel oil energy price factor

* Not part of RECS 2009 variables.

7-A.4 RECS 2009 DATABASE VARIABLE RESPONSE CODES

Table 7-A.3.1 provides the response codes for all RECS 2009 variables used in the 

commercial packaged boiler sample.

Table 7-A.4.1 Definitions of RECS 2009 Variables Used in Life-Cycle Cost Analysis 

Variable Response Codes

BTUELSPH Thousand BTU

BTUELWTH Thousand BTU

BTUFOSPH Thousand BTU

BTUFOWTH Thousand BTU

BTULPSPH Thousand BTU

BTULPWTH Thousand BTU

BTUNGSPH Thousand BTU

BTUNGWTH Thousand BTU

CATHCEIL

0

1

No

Yes

7-A-7
-2 Not Applicable

CDD65 Cooling degree days in 2009, base temperature 65F

CENACHP

0

1

-2

No

Yes

Not Applicable

COOLTYPE

1

2

3

-2

Central system

Window/wall units

Both a central system and window/wall units

Not Applicable

DIVISION

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

New England Census Division (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

Middle Atlantic Census Division (NJ, NY, PA)

East North Central Census Division (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)

West North Central Census Division (IA, KS, MN, MO, ND, 

NE, SD)

South Atlantic Census Division (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, 

SC, VA, WV)

East South Central Census Division (AL, KY, MS, TN)

West South Central Census Division (AR, LA, OK, TX)

Mountain North Sub-Division (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

Mountain South Sub-Division (AZ, NM, NV)

Pacific Census Division (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)

DOEID

00001 -

12083 Unique identifier for each respondent

EQMAMT

1

2

3

-2

Almost all

About three-fourths

Closer to half

Not Applicable

EQUIPAGE

1

2

3

41

42

5

-2

Less than 2 years old

2 to 4 years old

5 to 9 years old

10 to 14 years old

15 to 19 years old

20 years or older

Not Applicable

EQUIPM

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

21

-2

Steam or Hot Water System

Central Warm-Air Furnace

Heat Pump

Built-In Electric Units

Floor or Wall Pipeless Furnace

Built-In Room Heater

Heating Stove

Fireplace

Portable Electric Heaters

Portable Kerosene Heaters

Cooking Stove

Other Equipment

Not Applicable

FUELH2O

1

2

Natural Gas

Propane/LPG

7-A-8
3

4

5

7

8

21

-2

Fuel Oil

Kerosene

Electricity

Wood

Solar

Other Fuel

Not Applicable

FUELHEAT

1

2

3

4

5

7

8

9

21

-2

Natural Gas

Propane/LPG

Fuel Oil

Kerosene

Electricity

Wood

Solar

District Steam

Other Fuel

Not Applicable

H2OTYPE1

1

2

-2

Storage water heater

Tankless water heater

Not Applicable

HDD65 Heating degree days in 2009, base temperature 65F

HEATOTH

0

1

-2

No

Yes

Not Applicable

HIGHCEIL

0

1

-2

No

Yes

Not Applicable

MAINTHT

0

1

-2

No

Yes

Not Applicable

NAPTFLRS

1 - 9

-2

Number of floors in apartment

Not Applicable

NHSLDMEM 0 - 15 Number of household members

NUMAPTS

5 - 995

-2

Number of apartment units

Not Applicable

NUMH2OHTRS 0 - 9 Number of Storage Water Heaters

NUMH2ONOTNK 0 - 9 Number of Tankless Water Heaters

NWEIGHT Final sample weight

RADFUEL

1

2

3

4

5

7

8

9

21

-2

Natural Gas

Propane/LPG

Fuel Oil

Kerosene

Electricity

Wood

Solar

District Steam

Other Fuel

Not Applicable

REGIONC 1 Northeast Census Region

7-A-9
2

3

4

Midwest Census Region

South Census Region

West Census Region

REPORTABLE_DOMAIN

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Massachusetts

New York

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

Illinois

Indiana, Ohio

Michigan

Wisconsin

Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota

Kansas, Nebraska

Missouri

Virginia

Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia

Georgia

North Carolina, South Carolina

Florida

Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi

Tennessee

Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma

Texas

Colorado

Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming

Arizona

Nevada, New Mexico

California

Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington

Seniors*

0

1

No

Yes

POVERTY100

0

1

No

Yes

StationID* Three character identifier for weather station

ASHRAE Climate Region

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Miami, Florida

Houston, Texas

Phoenix, Arizona

Atlanta, Georgia

Los Angeles, California

Las Vegas, Nevada

San Francisco, California

Baltimore, Maryland

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Seattle, Washington

Chicago, Illinois

Denver, Colorado

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Helena, Montana

7-A-10
15

16

Duluth, Minnesota

Fairbanks, Alaska

MONEYPY

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

Less than $2,500

$2,500 to $4,999

$5,000 to $7,499

$7,500 to $9,999

$10,000 to $14,999

$15,000 to $19,999

$20,000 to $24,999

$25,000 to $29,999

$30,000 to $34,999

$35,000 to $39,999

$40,000 to $44,999

$45,000 to $49,999

$50,000 to $54,999

$55,000 to $59,999

$60,000 to $64,999

$65,000 to $69,999

$70,000 to $74,999

$75,000 to $79,999

$80,000 to $84,999

$85,000 to $89,999

$90,000 to $94,999

$95,000 to $99,999

$100,000 to $119,999

$120,000 or More

STORIES

10

20

31

32

40

50

-2

One story

Two stories

Three stories

Four or more stories

Split-level

Other type

Not Applicable

TOTHSQFT Square Feet

TOTSQFT Square Feet

TOTSQFT_EN Square Feet

TYPEHUQ

1

2

3

4

5

Mobile Home

Single-Family Detached

Single-Family Attached

Apartment in Building with 2 - 4 Units

Apartment in Building with 5+ Units

WALLTYPE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Brick

Wood

Siding (Aluminum, Vinyl, Steel)

Stucco

Composition (Shingle)

Stone

Concrete/Concrete Block

Glass

7-A-11
9 Other

WHEATAGE

1

2

3

41

42

5

-2

Less than 2 years old

2 to 4 years old

5 to 9 years old

10 to 14 years old

15 to 19 years old

20 years or older

Not Applicable

WHEATOTH

0

1

-2

No

Yes

Not Applicable

WHEATSIZ

1

2

3

-2

Small (30 gallons or less)

Medium (31 to 49 gallons)

Large (50 gallons or more)

Not Applicable

YEARMADE

1600 -

2009 Year housing unit was built

* Not part of RECS 2009 variables.

7-A-12
REFERENCES

1. U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Information Administration, Commercial Buildings 

Energy Consumption Survey, 2003. (Last accessed September, 2013.) 

<http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/>

2. U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy 

Consumption Survey: 2009 RECS Survey Data, 2013. (Last accessed March, 2013.) 

<http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2009/>

7-A-13