Space Type Definitions

The following is a list of definitions and data entry requirements for each space type that is available in Portfolio Manager. Whether a building is comprised of one or more space types, information on distinct operating characteristics of each type of space is needed to accurately assess the energy use of a building.

Bank/Financial Institution

Bank/Financial Institution applies to facility space used for financial services. Relevant businesses include bank branches, bank headquarters, securities and brokerage firms. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as vaults, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, atria, conference rooms and auditoria, fitness areas for staff, storage areas, stairways, elevator shafts, etc. The following information is required for a Bank/Financial Institution Space.

  • Zip code
  • Gross floor area
  • Weekly operating hours
  • Number of workers on main shift
  • Number of personal computers
  • Percent of gross floor area that is air conditioned
  • Percent of gross floor area that is heated

Computer Data Center

Computer Data Center applies to spaces specifically designed and equipped to meet the needs of high density computing equipment such as server racks, used for data storage and processing. Typically these are raised floor spaces that maintain controlled temperatures and/or humidity. The air-conditioning system for this type of space is usually separate from that used to control the space environment in other parts of the building and is usually separated by walls and doors.

If an entire facility is listed as a Computer Data Center, it is not eligible to receive a National energy performance rating. However, if the majority of the building space use falls into an eligible category and the Computer Data Center accounts for 10% or less of total floor area, the facility is eligible to receive an National energy performance rating.

The following information is required for Computer Data Center Spaces.

  • Gross floor area
  • Weekly operating hours

Courthouse

Courthouse applies to facility space used for federal, state, or local courts and associated office space. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as temporary holding cells, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, atria, conference rooms and auditoria, fitness areas for staff, storage areas, stairways, elevator shafts, etc. The following information is required for a Courthouse Space.

  • Zip code
  • Gross floor area
  • Weekly operating hours
  • Number of workers on main shift
  • Number of personal computers
  • Percent of gross floor area that is air conditioned
  • Percent of gross floor area that is heated

Dormitory / Residence Hall

Dormitory/Residence Hall applies to buildings associated with educational institutions or military facilities which offer multiple accommodations for long-term residents. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as food service facilities, laundry facilities, meeting spaces, exercise rooms, health club/spas, lobbies, elevator shafts, storage areas stairways, etc. The following information is required for Residence Hall and Dormitory Spaces.

  • Zip code
  • Number of rooms
  • Gross floor area

Hospital (Acute Care and Children’s)

Hospital applies to facility space of least 20,000 square feet in total gross floor area used as Acute Care and Children's Hospitals. These facilities typically provide a variety of services within the same facility or among multiple facilities on a campus, including emergency medical care, physician's office services, diagnostic care, ambulatory care, and surgical care.

At least 50% of the total gross floor area must be used for acute care. Facilities that use more than 50% of the gross floor area for long-term care, skilled nursing, and/or ambulatory surgical centers are not eligible for a rating at this time. Note: the entirety of the facility and/or campus should be entered as a single Hospital space use. The total floor area should include all supporting functions such as: stairways, connecting corridors between buildings, medical offices, exam rooms, laboratories, lobbies, atria, cafeterias, storage areas, elevator shafts, and any space affiliated with emergency medical care, or diagnostic care.

No unique space uses should be entered other than parking, computer data centers, or swimming pools.

Additional guidance: Healthcare Classification Document PDF (446KB)

The following information is required for a Hospital Space.

  • Zip code
  • Number of licensed beds
  • Gross floor area
  • Number of floors
  • Presence or absence of tertiary care

Hotel / Motel

Hotel/Motel applies to buildings that rent overnight accommodations on a room/suite basis, with a bath/shower and other facilities in most guest rooms. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as food preparation and restaurant space, laundry facilities, exercise rooms, health club/spas, lobbies, atria, elevator shafts, stairways, storage areas, etc.

Amenities including meeting and conference facilities, recreational space, and retail establishments should be used to place your Hotel into the appropriate amenity category; these spaces should be included in the total floor area. Hotel/motel categories currently eligible for benchmarking include: economy, midscale, upscale, and upper upscale. Resort and extended stay categories are not eligible for a rating at this time.

Please refer to the Amenity and Category Definitions.

The following information is required for a Hotel Space.

  • Zip code
  • Number of rooms
  • Gross floor area
  • Presence or Absence of On-site cooking

K-12 School

K-12 School applies to facility space used as a school building for Kindergarten through 12th grade students. This does not include college or university classroom facilities and laboratories, or vocational, technical, and trade schools. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as administrative space, conference rooms, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, cafeterias, gymnasiums, auditoria, laboratory classrooms, greenhouses, stairways, atria, elevator shafts, small landscaping sheds, storage areas, etc. The following information is required for a K-12 School Space.

  • Zip code
  • Gross floor area
  • Weekly operating hours
  • Student seating capacity
  • Number of months in operation
  • Percent of the gross floor area of this space that is air-conditioned
  • Percent of the gross floor area of this space that is heated
  • Number of personal computers
  • Presence or absence of on-site cooking facilities
  • Presence or absence of mechanical ventilation

Medical Office

Medical Office applies to facility space used to provide diagnosis and treatment for medical, dental, or psychiatric outpatient care. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as kitchens used by staff, laboratories, lobbies, atria, conference rooms and auditoria, fitness areas for staff, storage areas, stairways, elevator shafts, etc.

Additional guidance: Healthcare Classification Document PDF (446KB)

The following information is required for a Medical Office Space.

  • Zip code
  • Number of workers on main shift
  • Weekly operating hours
  • Gross floor area

Office

Office applies to facility spaces used for general office, professional, and administrative purposes. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as kitchens used by staff, lobbies, atria, conference rooms and auditoria, fitness areas for staff, storage areas, stairways, elevator shafts, etc. The following information is required for an Office Space.

  • Zip code
  • Gross floor area
  • Weekly operating hours
  • Number of workers on main shift
  • Number of personal computers
  • Percent of gross floor area that is air conditioned
  • Percent of gross floor area that is heated

Other

Spaces that do not fit clearly within any available categories should be designated as "other". Other may be used to designate any space not listed in Portfolio Manager, this could include restaurants, laboratories, penitentiaries, or manufacturing facilities. If an entire facility is classified as Other, it is not eligible to receive a National energy performance rating; however, if a portion of a facility is classified as Other, you may be able to receive a National energy performance rating. To be eligible, the gross floor area of the facility must be comprised of 50% or more of an eligible space type and 10% or less of the gross floor area must be comprised of an Other space type.

The following information is required for Other Spaces.

  • Gross floor area
  • Weekly operating hours

Additional Guidance on Other

Parking

The Parking space type is intended for any area connected to the building that is used for parking vehicles. This includes parking lots, fully enclosed parking structures, and unenclosed parking structures that are open on all sides and may or may not include roof parking. All parking areas should be combined into one parking space. The purpose of combining all of these areas into one space is to avoid double counting and simplify the process. By apportioning the square foot of the parking area into these three categories, Portfolio Manager can properly assign lighting and ventilation allowances.

For example, if a building contains two parking lots and one under ground fully enclosed parking structure, all three parking areas should be combined and entered as one parking space in Portfolio Manager. The square footage of the two parking lots should be added together and entered as one unit under “Parking sqft that is open (no roof)” and the square footage of the enclosed parking structure should be entered under “Parking sqft that is enclosed”.

The following information is required for Parking Spaces:

  • Parking ft2 that is enclosed
  • Parking ft2 that is unenclosed (with a roof)
  • Parking ft2 that is open (no roof)
  • Weekly Hours of Access

Retail Store

Applies to stores of at least 5,000 square feet in gross floor area used to conduct the retail sale of consumer products goods. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as kitchens and break rooms used by staff, storage areas, administrative areas, elevators, stairwells, atria, etc. Stores must be free standing or located in strip centers. Stores located in enclosed malls are not eligible, with the exception of mall anchors. Retail segments typically eligible for benchmarking include: Department Store, Discount Store, Supercenter, Warehouse Club, Drug Store, Dollar Store, Home Center/Hardware, and Apparel/Hard Line Specialty (i.e. books, clothing, office products, toys, home goods). Retail segments typically not eligible for benchmarking include Electronics Stores.

The following information is required for retail stores:

  • Zip code
  • Gross floor area
  • Operating hours per week
  • Number workers on main shift
  • Number of personal computers
  • Number of cash registers
  • Number of walk-in refrigeration/freezer units
  • Number of open and closed refrigeration/freezer cases
  • Percent of the store that is heated
  • Percent of the store that is cooled

Supermarket

The Supermarket/Grocery Store space type applies to facility space used for the retail sale of food and beverage products. It should not be used by restaurants, which are not eligible for a rating at this time. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as kitchens and break rooms used by staff, storage areas (refrigerated and non-refrigerated), administrative areas, stairwells, atria, lobbies, etc. The following information is required for Supermarket and Grocery Store Spaces.

  • Zip code
  • Gross floor area
  • Weekly operating hours
  • Workers on main shift
  • Presence of cooking facilities
  • Number of walk-in refrigeration/freezer units
  • Percent of the gross floor area that is heated
  • Percent of the gross floor area that is cooled

Swimming Pool

Swimming Pool applies to heated swimming pools that operate on the premises and on the same energy-use meter as the primary facility. This category applies to any heated swimming pools located inside or outside of the facility. Swimming pools are categorized by size, application, and usage.

The following information is required for Swimming Pools.

  • Months in use
  • Size of Swimming Pool
  • Gross floor area

Warehouse (Refrigerated or Unrefrigerated)

The warehouse space type is intended to define facility space that is only used to store goods, manufactured products, merchandise or raw materials. Space types defined as Warehouse (Refrigerated or Unrefrigerated) must not contain any onsite manufacturing. If the space is part of an industrial campus, the space defined as warehouse must be a separate structure that is separately metered from any adjacent processing plants. Refrigerated warehouse specifically denotes space designed to store perishable goods or merchandise under refrigeration at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Unrefrigerated warehouse specifically denotes space designed to store non-perishable goods and merchandise. The total gross floor area should include all supporting functions such as offices, lobbies, stairways, rest rooms, equipment storage areas, elevator shafts, etc. The following information is required for Refrigerated and Unrefrigerated Warehouse Spaces.

  • Zip code
  • Gross floor area
  • Number of walk-in coolers and refrigerators
  • Weekly operating hours
  • Number of workers on main shift
  • Presence or absence of high-intensity discharge (HID) or halogen lighting systems that primarily light the facility

Wastewater Treatment Plant

A wastewater treatment plant is a facility that is designed to treat municipal wastewater. The level of treatment at a plant will vary based on the BOD limits and the specific processes involved. This space type in Portfolio Manager is appropriate for primary, secondary, and advanced treatment facilities with or without nutrient removal. Treatment processes may include biological, chemical, and physical treatment. This space type is best applied to wastewater treatment facilities of 150 MGD or smaller. This space type does not apply to water treatment and distribution facilities.

The following information is required for wastewater treatment facilities:

  • Zip code
  • Average influent flow
  • Average influent biological oxygen demand (BOD5)
  • Average effluent biological oxygen demand (BOD5)
  • Plant design flow rate
  • Presence of fixed film trickle filtration process
  • Presence of nutrient removal process