Commercial Demand Module

[1]   Energy Information Administration, 2003 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) Public Use Files, web site www.eia.gov/emeu/cbecs/cbecs2003/public_use_2003/cbecs_pubdata 2003. html. 

[2]  The fuels accounted for by the commercial module are electricity, natural gas, distillate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), coal, motor gasoline, and kerosene.  Current commercial use of biomass (wood, Municipal solid waste) is also included. In addition to these fuels the use of solar energy is projected based on an exogenous estimate of existing solar photovoltaic system installations, projected installations due to State and local incentive programs, and the potential endogenous penetration of solar photovoltaic systems and solar thermal water heaters. The use of wind energy is projected based on an estimate of existing distributed wind turbines and the potential endogenous penetration of wind turbines in the commercial sector. 

[3]  The end-use services in the commercial module are heating, cooling, water heating, ventilation, cooking, lighting, refrigeration, PC and non-PC office equipment and a category denoted other to account for all other minor end uses. 

[4]  The 11 building categories are assembly, education, food sales, food services, health care, lodging, large offices, small offices, mercantile/services, warehouse and other. 

[5]  Minor end uses are modeled based on penetration rates and efficiency trends. 

[6]  The detailed documentation of the commercial module contains additional details concerning model structure and operation. Refer to Energy Information Administration, Model Documentation Report:  Commercial Sector Demand Module of the National Energy Modeling System, DOE/EIA M066(2010), (June 2010). 

[7]  The commercial floorspace equations of the Macroeconomic Activity Model are estimated using the McGraw-Hill Construction Research & Analytics database of historical floorspace estimates.  The McGraw-Hill Construction estimate for commercial floorspace in the U.S. is approximately 16 percent lower than the estimate obtained from the CBECS used for the Commercial module.  See F.W. Dodge, Building Stock Database Methodology and 1991 Results, Construction Statistics and Forecasts, F.W. Dodge, McGraw-Hill. 

[8]  The commercial module performs attrition for 9 vintages of floorspace developed using stock estimates from the previous 5 CBECS and historical floorspace additions data from McGraw-Hill Construction data. 

[9]  In the event that the computation of additions produce a negative value for a specific building type, it is assumed to be zero. 

[10] “Other office equipment” includes copiers, fax machines, typewriters, cash registers, server computers, and other miscellaneous office equipment.  A tenth category denoted other includes equipment such as elevators, medical, and other laboratory equipment, communications equipment, security equipment,  transformers and miscellaneous electrical appliances.   Commercial energy consumed outside of buildings and for combined heat and power is also included in the “other” category. 

[11]  Based on  2003 CBECS  end-use-level consumption data developed using the methodology described in Estimation of Energy End-Use Intensities, web site   www.eia.gov/emeu/cbecs/tech_end_use.html. 

[12]  The proportion of equipment retiring is inversely related to the equipment life. 

[13]  Commercial prerinse spray valves are handheld devices used to remove food residue from dishes and flatware before cleaning.