About the Data

The Building Performance Database is currently the largest publically available source of building energy performance data. It contains information about the building’s location, use, and physical and operational characteristics. All of the data in the BPD is measured.

Unlike the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) and the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), the BPD is not intended to be a statistically representative sample of the building stock. The BPD can be used to analyze trends within custom defined local peer groups – in many cases there are sizeable peer groups for specific real estate sub-markets, which is not the case with subsets of CBECS and RECS. Nevertheless, as the number of buildings in the database increases, it is anticipated that the distribution will eventually approach the distribution of the underlying building stock. Statistical methods to test this hypothesis are under development. 

The BPD depends upon the amount and quality of data it contains. Basic building information and monthly energy consumption data can be used to compare similar buildings and identify high and low performers. Richer data, such as equipment information and interval meter data, will enable statistical analysis of potential retrofit measures and other advanced analysis. As more data is contributed, more advanced analyses will become possible. To date, we have received data contributions from many exemplary industry leaders, including federal agencies, state and local governments, energy-efficiency programs, real estate owners and private businesses. New data is being added regularly.