Is What They Want What They Get? Examining Field Evidence for Links between Design Intent and As-Built Energy Performance of Commercial Buildings

Jeffrey A. Johnson, New Buildings Institute, Inc.

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Abstract

Do you ever wonder why the performance you experience for something you bought differs from a manufacturer’s claim on a label? This paper takes an insightful look at how this applies to new buildings by using the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR National Energy Performance Rating Scale. It will present the early results of a study comparing the original design intent of typical newly constructed commercial buildings in California with the Energy Performance Rating Scale. Specifically, the paper will:

Compare pertinent field data against the Energy Performance Rating Scale for a population of new buildings in California.
Discuss energy performance tracking issues raised by two critical audiences -- those prospective decision-makers who, so far, have declined to participate in ENERGY STAR, and building science researchers and architectural energy practitioners who challenge the technical approach of the Energy Performance Rating Scale.
Present credible and useful information about the relationship between building energy performance and intended energy-efficient design practices (as defined by a percentage above or below California’s Nonresidential Energy Standards).
Recommend a means of using the Energy Performance Rating to assure design intent can be translated into actual building energy performance.

This paper discusses ways to institute a process to identify ways of enhancing the use of ratings systems in new construction and also discusses the relationship between design intent and ratings.