Baseline Characteristics of the 2002-2004 Nonresidential Sector: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington

This report describes the results of a two-year, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) study intended to improve understanding of the new commercial building stock in the Pacific Northwest region. The study provides a new regional baseline for current practices in commercial buildings constructed between 2002 and 2004 and compares those practices with previous baseline and code compliance studies conducted from 1996 to 1998. The study also looks at changes in design professionals’ attitudes toward energy efficiency across the same periods.

The main research activities for the study included field visits (conducted between mid-2006 and late 2007) and interviews with design professionals and building operators. Analyses included physical and operational building characteristics, code compliance, and energy use. By understanding the commercial sector’s building characteristics and energy savings potential, regional planning will be improved and utilities and other energy providers will be able to design more effective energy efficiency programs.

The current study is more ambitious than similar previous studies in that both the number of buildings and the sampling goals were expanded. A total of 350 buildings received site visits, the energy audit protocol was enhanced, the amount of on-site information collected relating to ownership, operations, and maintenance was expanded, and billing releases were secured to obtain energy use information. Statistically reliable information was collected for the region, for each of the four Northwest states, for five specific building types and for several utility service territories.