DOE Develops Benchmark Models to Improve Building Energy Simulations

December 05, 2008

The Department of Energy (DOE), in conjunction with three of its national laboratories, has developed and made available commercial building benchmark models for building professionals to use when analyzing whole-building energy performance across the commercial building stock. The commercial benchmarks are available for DOE's EnergyPlus simulation software. The models provide a consistent baseline of comparison and improve the value of computer-generated energy simulations.

DOE's Building Technologies Program, working with DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, developed models for 16 commercial building types in 16 locations representing all U.S. climate zones. These 16 building types represent approximately 70% of commercial buildings in the United States.

Users can download the benchmarks by building type or location at the Commercial Building Benchmark Models Web page. Each benchmark building is comprised of:

• An EnergyPlus input file (.idf)
• An HTML file showing the results from the EnergyPlus simulation (.html)
• A scorecard summarizing the inputs and results for each location (.pdfs)
• Appropriate weather data file for EnergyPlus (.epw).

EnergyPlus is DOE's fully integrated building, HVAC, and renewables simulation program that allows builders and architects to analyze low-energy technologies in commercial and residential building simulations.

Benchmark models are available for the following building types:

Building Type Name	Floor Area ft2	Number of Floors
Large office	498,590	12
Medium office	53,630	3
Small office	5,500	1
Warehouse	52,050	1
Stand-alone retail	24,690	1
Strip mall	22,500	1
Primary school	73,960	2
Secondary school	204,170	3
Supermarket	45,000	1
Fast food	2,500	1
Restaurant	5,500	1
Hospital	241,350	5
Outpatient health care	10,000	2
Small hotel	43,200	2
Large hotel	122,116	6
Midrise apartment	33,600	4