Full Service Restaurant Energy Models Across 16 Climate Zones

16 climate zone models for a full-service restaurant building type, covering three construction categories: new (2004), post-1980, and pre-1980. The U.S. Department of Energy developed these reference models, which include building, zone, and location summaries detailing form, fabric, HVAC, area, lighting, and utility costs.

Use Cases

• Compare HVAC details and utility costs across 16 climate zones to assess regional energy performance.
• Analyze energy end use and peak energy demand for pre-1980 versus post-1980 construction categories.
• Model lighting and occupant loads using zone summary data for building energy simulation.
• Benchmark fabric and HVAC details against new construction standards for retrofit analysis.

Strengths

• Models are provided for 16 distinct climate zones, enabling geographic analysis.
• Includes three specific construction categories (new 2004, post-1980, pre-1980) for temporal comparison.
• Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy in conjunction with national laboratories.
• Dataset components include detailed building, zone, and location summaries.

Limitations

• The dataset is based on reference models, not actual measured energy data from real buildings.
• Models represent a specific snapshot; the description notes many changes and improvements have occurred since release.
• File formats include XLS and PDF, which may require conversion for programmatic analysis.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its national laboratories.

Collection Method

Developed as reference building models for whole building energy analysis using EnergyPlus simulation software.

Time Range

Models represent construction categories from pre-1980, post-1980, and new (2004).

Freshness

Last updated 2025-04-11, but description notes models are outdated and improved data exists elsewhere.

Geography

United States, modeled across 16 climate zones.