ASTM E1464-92(2005)

The collection of empirical data to determine building energy performance is an important but complex and costly activity. Careful development of energy monitoring projects can make a crucial difference in the value of project results relative to the expense.

Increasing the widespread understanding of how energy is used and the types of services it provides in commercial, institutional, and related (light industrial, large multifamily, and mixed commercial/residential) buildings has proved to be difficult. This difficulty arises from the following variables: the complexity of buildings as energy systems; the diversity of sizes, uses, schedules, and types of buildings; the changes in uses of buildings; and the mixture of uses within individual buildings. These factors make building energy performance and energy (and dollar) savings from energy improvements difficult to categorize and compare.

The audience for this guide is diverse, including energy suppliers such as utilities, building owners and managers, building occupants, designers, public and private research organizations, equipment manufacturers, and public regulators.

The user of this guide must be familiar with the fundamental techniques of engineering project management and energy performance data collection, data management, and data analysis. See Refs (1-4)³ for a discussion of techniques related to the collection and analysis of energy performance data.

1.1 This guide covers a methodological approach to developing protocols for collecting empirical building or facility energy performance data.

1.2 The methodological approach covered in this guide is appropriate for commercial and institutional buildings or facilities, and with some adaptations, the approach can also be used for larger multifamily buildings or small industrial buildings or facilities.

1.3 This guide does not specify a complete project or experimental design, the hardware or software needed for data collection and data management, or the data analysis techniques to be used.

1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.