NESEA's Methodology: Counting, Measuring, Reporting
Chris Benedict
NESEA's Methodology:
Counting, Measuring, Reporting
By Chris BenediCt, r.A.
The editors of the Northeast
Sun have asked me to create
a list of "stats" that will be
required for all buildings covered in the Northeast Sun going forward.
Counting, measuring and reporting seem
simple at first glance, but there are complexities and opinions about what is measured, counted and reported in buildings.
For some people, "Btus" are familiar.
For others, speaking in "Watts" is normal.
There are arguments about whether English or Metric units for areas should be
used. Additionally, counting floor area
of a building is done in several ways.
Part of designing for energy efficiency
is making sure that aspects of energy use
can be measured reliably once the building is occupied. System designs can make
measuring more or less difficult to get the
information. In an apartment building,
for example, with separate systems in
each apartment, it may be necessary to
get individual energy bills from owners
or tenants. If the energy use cannot be
counted, the building is not eligible for
publication in the Northeast Sun.
This article is a first stab at setting up
some strict criteria for the reporting in
the Northeast Sun. I welcome all comments.
I will post this short article on my NESEA
blog at nesea.org and propose a session
devoted to this topic at BE10.
1. REQUIRED BACKGROUND INFO
• State the use(s) of the building, expected
number of occupants, and the major
energy and water loads in the building.
• What are the average R values of the:
Walls? Floor? Roof? Windows?
• What is the air barrier strategy and
how has it been constructed?
• What is the measured ACH50 and
leakage in CFM50/ft2 of enclosure?
• What are the mechanical and passive
systems in the building used to meet
and/or control the energy and water
loads?
• What is the owner's expectation regarding thermal comfort? Is a particular
temperature and RH to be maintained
for heating and cooling? Is the owner
willing to allow temperatures above
75 degrees and below 68 degrees? Is
this temperature being maintained?
• Provide dates for C of O, first move-
in, and full occupancy.
• Provide the dates of the twelve month
period for the energy use information.
2. REQUIRED SITE ENERGY INFO
• What is the peak site and source energy input of the heating equipment?
For source energy calculation, multiply
all kWh of electricity by 3.1 to account
for the grid @ 31%.
• What is the peak site and source energy
input of the air conditioning equipment? For source energy calculation,
multiply all kWh of electricity by 3.1
to account for the grid @ 31%.
• State all non-site generated energy sources
for the building and how each source
is used.*
• State how each non-site generated energy
source is quantified: i.e., electricity in
metered kWh, oil in # Btu/gal, gas in
# Btu/cubic foot, wood or biomass in
# Btu/unit, etc.
• Present all energy bills showing
amounts of energy used, not dollar
amounts, including wood and biomass/fuel. Account numbers may be
blacked out on the bills, but the
building address must be visible.
• State the floor area of the building in
square feet and in square meters for
each use and state what is included
and not included. Areas may include
exterior walls but may not include
unconditioned spaces.
• Non-site generated energy counting:
Provide site energy in
Btu/ ft2/yr and KWH/m2/yr
Provide source energy* in
Btu/ft2/yr and KWH/m2/yr
3.413 Btu = 1W and 3.413 Btu =
1Wh
24 lNortheast Sun lFall 2009
* For source energy calculation multiply all kWh of electricity not
generated on site by 3.1 to account for the grid @ 31% efficiency
and add all other energy.
State unusual characteristics, such as very high ceilings,
that may skew energy calculations.
If it is possible to break out the energy for the heating
season, provide Btu/ft2/HDD, both site energy and
source energy.
• Site generated energy counting
If wind or sun is used to generate electricity, report these
amounts of energy generated for the year.
For PV: the meter in a PV control can be used.
For solar thermal: a meter that measures flow and temperature difference should be used, not a meter on a solar
controller that makes an assumption about flow but does
not measure it.
• Show electric peak load of a measured 12 month period.
3. REQUIRED WATER INFO
• State any issues with availability of water in the area.
• Are there unusual amounts water used in the building
for specific reasons?
• State how or if the water use is measured.
• State the amount of water use per year in gallons.
4. REQUIRED COST INFO
• State the construction cost per square foot and state what,
if anything, is not included in this price.
• State total cost for the building including what was not
included in the above.
Chris Benedict, R.A. is principal of her own architecture firm
in New York City. She specializes in healthy, durable, energy
efficient buildings-both new construction and rehabilitations
of existing, built for the same cost as typical construction.
Fall 2009 lNortheast Sun l25
