Commercial Buildings and Equipment

Building owners and managers need to provide reliable and comfortable heating, ventilation, cooling, lighting, and other energy services to occupants of the nearly 67 billion square feet of commercial floor space in the United States. Together, commercial buildings account for around 17% of the total energy consumed in the country, at an average cost of $1.21 per square foot of commercial floorspace. ACEEE is involved in a range of projects that target commercial building efficiency by helping advise consumers, utilities, and government agencies on the best approaches for achieving high performance. These include codes and standards, integrated whole-building performance programs (commissioning and retrocommissioning) and equipment-specific studies. For the most innovative technologies emerging in the commercial sector, review our Emerging Technologies Web site.

Activities

• Commercial Building Performance
  ACEEE has compiled an extensive collection of resources helpful to building managers, program operators and the general public who are interested in Commissioning, Retrocommissioning, and other ways to improve the whole-system energy performance of commercial buildings.
  
  
• Online Guide to Energy-Efficient Commercial Equipment (2004)
  If you are considering purchasing or specifying lighting, HVAC equipment, refrigeration units, office equipment or other commercial equipment, this online guide will provide you with information on the kind of equipment to look for. The market for commercial building equipment is changing rapidly. For our most up-to-date efforts regarding commercial equipment efficiency, consult our report listings below or our Building Performance Web site..
  
  
• Regional/Sector-specific Projects:
  • Market Transformation for Commercial Heat Pump Water Heaters in New York State (2002)

ACEEE Technical Reports

• Schools
• Offices
• Building Performance
• Equipment
  • Elevators
  • Lighting
  • Heating, Cooling, Ventillation (HVAC)
  • Motors
  • Packaged Refrigeration
  • Office Equipment
  • Traffic Signals
  • Transformers

Important Resources and Links

• Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS)
• Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Building Technologies Department
• ENERGY STAR Business Improvement Resources
• Federal Energy Management Program

For more information contact:
Harvey Sachs, Program Director
Jennifer Thorne Amann, Senior Associate
Amanda Korane, Research Staff

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