Performance Analysis
Performance Analysis resources enable Research Teams to compare the energy performance of actual houses against a standard or benchmark house. This ensures homes achieve the goals set using the systems engineering approach. Here you will find information about the research benchmark and performance analysis procedures established by Building America. Some of these resources are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
Research Benchmark and Performance Analysis Procedures
The steps involved in performance analysis are defining a benchmark, measuring the actual performance of a house, and then determining the energy savings. The following resources were developed by Building America to assist in this process.
Building America Research Benchmark
To track progress toward aggressive multi-year, whole-house energy savings goals of 40% to 100%, Building America developed a Research Benchmark in consultation with the Building America teams.
The Benchmark is generally consistent with mid-1990s standard practice, as reflected in the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Technical Guidelines (RESNET 2002), with additional definitions and detail that allow analysts to evaluate advanced technologies in all residential end-use categories. For specifics about the benchmark, see the Research Benchmark Definition publication, updated January 19, 2010 (PDF 1.2 MB).
Performance Analysis Procedures
Building America Research Teams evaluate cost and performance trade-offs through a series of controlled field and laboratory experiments supported by energy analysis techniques that use test data to inform energy simulation models.
The Building America Performance Analysis Procedures report summarizes the guidelines for reporting these analytical results using the Building America Research Benchmark in studies that also include consideration of current regional and builder standard practice models. This document also describes analysis procedures that provide the basis for:
- Calculating the whole-house energy savings of a prototype house relative to three important base cases: the Building America Research Benchmark, Builder Standard Practice, and Regional Standard Practice
- Using building simulation analysis to calculate annual energy savings based on side-by-side short-term field testing of a prototype house and base-case house(s)
- Comparing analyses to field-test results.
Learn more by reading the Building America Performance Analysis Procedures report (PDF 2.1 MB).
Related Links
Following is a list of useful Performance Analysis links:
- Air Conditioning Contractors of America
- Air Conditioning Contractors of America Manuals
- BESTEST—Building Energy Simulation TEST
- Building Energy Simulation User News—See Vol. 19 for DOE2 training
- California Title 24 - California Energy Commission
- U.S. Department Of Energy (DOE) Building Energy Software Tools
- DOE2.1E and 2.2
- Energy Information Administration
- EnergyPlus Energy Simulation Software
- Home Energy Rating System (HERS)
- Typical Meteorological Year Data—From the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- DOE's Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards
- DOE's 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (Published November 1999)
- DOE's Technical Support Document: Energy Efficiency Standards for Consumer Products: Residential Water Heaters, Appendix D-2 (December 2000)
- DOE's Residential Integrated Code Change—Proposal to modify the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code
Performance Analysis Data Files and Tools
The following files, available in Microsoft Excel format, provide input data and spreadsheet tools to assist teams with performance analysis using the Benchmark. Additionally, there are input files for building energy analysis software tools.
Building America Analysis Spreadsheet in an Excel 2007 Macro-Enabled Workbook format (ZIP 2.4 MB) (Updated 02/3/10)
Domestic Hot Water Event Schedules
- 2, 3, and 4 bedrooms (Excel 13.7 MB) (Updated 06/02/09)
End-Use Profiles
- Lighting (Excel 268 KB) (Updated 02/04/05)
- Occupancy (Excel 124 KB)
ASHRAE 152 Spreadsheets provided by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Excel 147 KB)
DOE-2.2 Input Files
Example DOE2 input files provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL):
- EcoVillage-DOE2
- Hathaway-DOE2
- NREL-Atlanta-DOE2
- NREL-Pensacola-DOE2
- NREL-Tucson2-DOE2
- PPG-WINDOW.DAT
Learn more about DOE-2.2.
EnergyGauge Version 2.2 Input Files
Learn more about EnergyGauge.