Research Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of this research project is to standardize the measurement and characterization of building energy performance. Outcomes of this project include a common language and standards that produce consistent results independent of the user.

Although many performance attributes of buildings require clearly defined metrics, we are only concerned with metrics related to energy consumption and on-site energy production. Our objectives are to:

• Identify existing performance metrics
  
  
• Clearly define new performance metrics that characterize building energy performance and provide guidance on their use
  
  
• Standardize the methods or procedures for quantifying the metrics
  
  
• Develop and validate procedures for collecting data, assuring data quality, and reporting data needed to support the building energy performance metrics.

Our primary products are performance metric definitions and the procedures for determining them, which are packaged together in a series of documents. Each document is focused toward one aspect of building energy consumption or production.

Many groups will benefit from this project, but our primary audience is users with a technical background in building energy performance. This group includes building science researchers and building energy service professionals. Derivative products may be produced later that will benefit users with a higher level of interest in building energy performance.