U.S. Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey 1979-2003

A national sample survey of U.S. commercial buildings, collecting information on building stock, energy-related characteristics, consumption, and expenditures. The survey includes building types such as schools, correctional institutions, and religious worship buildings. It was first conducted in 1979, with the most recent survey in 2003, and is conducted on a quadrennial basis.

Use Cases

• Analyze energy consumption trends across different building types like schools and correctional institutions.
• Model energy expenditures based on building characteristics and floorspace data.
• Identify historical trends in heating, cooling, and lighting equipment usage within commercial buildings.

Strengths

• National sample survey providing a representative view of U.S. commercial building stock.
• Contains data on multiple energy-related characteristics, consumption, and expenditures.
• Historical coverage from the first survey in 1979 through the most recent in 2003.

Limitations

• Data is not current, with the most recent survey conducted in 2003, representing a 20+ year gap.
• Specific row count, column details, and sample data are unavailable, limiting analytical precision.
• Survey methodology may introduce sampling bias for certain building types or regions.

Provenance

Source

Department of Energy

Collection Method

National sample survey

Time Range

1979 to 2003

Freshness

Quadrennial basis; most recent survey from 2003.

Geography

United States