WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the new Buildings Performance Database, the largest free, publicly available database of residential and commercial building energy performance information. This database will allow users to access energy performance data and perform statistical analyses based on more than 60,000 commercial and residential buildings across the country, said DOE, and new records are being added regularly.

The database includes buildings’ location; age; size and function; electricity and fuel consumption; equipment information; and operational characteristics. The data can be used to compare performance trends among similar buildings, identify and prioritize cost-saving energy efficiency improvements, and assess the range of likely savings from these improvements. An application programming interface (API) will allow external software developers to incorporate analytical results from the database into their own tools and services.

The database tools have been designed to meet the content and usability needs of public agencies, building owners and managers, contractors, energy efficiency program administrators, and financial institutions, with over 1,000 users testing the site since March 2013. DOE hopes that public and private stakeholders will continue to submit data and expand the resource. All data is made anonymous and is protected by privacy and security protocols.

DOE said the database is part of its commitment to provide energy data tools to help cut energy waste and save money. The database was developed for DOE’s Building Technologies Office by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Building Energy Inc.

For more information, visit http://buildings.energy.gov/bpd.

Publication date: 6/24/2013

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